A Turtle's Throne

Standing in a foreign nation, fragrance from a fresh cremation Lost and long forgotten by the beasts that roamed my home Nights are dark and gloomy but the tundra’s so damn roomy Here is where I want to be so leave me standing here alone Here I stand a man with quill in hand is all I own That, my crown and throne Walking on the sandy beaches, there I saw the strangest creatures Living in a unison together on their own Then behind the bushy myrtle, hid the cowardly old turtle “Don’t be hiding there old turtle, don’t be hiding all alone!” But the turtle stayed behind the bush beneath a stone This, he calls his throne Night defeats the sunlights laughter once the mockingbirds cry after Day has set so I can be the king of lands I roam Darkness gives me all the cover, more than I could need a lover Here is where I want to be so leave me here alone Darkness is my friend so I can call this land my home Here, I sit on my throne Moonlight let the turtle scurry athwart on the beach to hurry Into deep blue seas where he is free to swim atoned Creatures from the deep blue ocean bow down to their king’s devotion When the sun arose he then recoiled back in his dome “Pity you old turtle” I said, “hiding there alone.” That, you call a throne? Days long gone that I remember, Spring-time joy in mid-November Hiding in and oak tree from the creatures of my home Now my kingdom bows before me no one stares or dares ignore me Here I stand a king, adore me, lord of all I own Pity all I own is barren, barren to the bone At least, I have my throne Then one starry twilight dreaming, where I stood there pride redeeming Came along the turtle beaming till he saw my throne In a flash, his neck retreated in his shell and self conceited “Don’t be shy and self defeated!” Said I, in stern tone. “Stick your neck out, coward, or you’ll end up all alone!” Returning to his throne Returning to my throne When I woke in shock and horrid, scaly felt my morphed new forehead Overwhelming dread and torrid shook my body to the bone There I was a transformed turtle hiding there beneath the myrtle All along I was the turtle standing there alone Horrified of all the creatures rounding my new home My shell that I had grown A self-made, feeble throne