slow and steady

Originally uploaded by aquanerds.

a found poem

Turtles are built for hard times
Famine, flood, heat wave, ice age
A predator’s inspections
A paramour’s rejections
Turtles take adversity in stride

Miserly [of] metabolism
Tranquil [of] temperament
Forgo[ing] food and drink for months at a time

[Behind a] redwood burl of a body shield
A turtle’s organs do not break down
Or become less efficient over time

Their heart isn’t stimulated by nerves
It doesn’t need to beat
Constantly
They can turn it on and off at will

Turtles resist growing old
They resist growing up

Benign and slow


From All but Ageless, Turtles Face Their Biggest Threat: Humans in this morning’s New York Times.