Death By Turtle

Death by Turtle
(An Eagles Snack Kills Aeschylus)

With light along the quiet beach receding
Sun and sand sink on obfuscated facts
Great tragedian figures don't live forever in the past

Along the shore where Sicilian eagles lift their wings
To drop turtles from on high to crack a shell wide open
Where Aeschylus walks by
Turtles can not fly

They fall on strangers or someone famous
Perhaps a bald man who writes Greek tragedy
Just another rock according to a hungry eagle

The day goes south and sour for poor Aeschylus
Mundane walks should be as simple as a thought
Without objects falling from the sky on him

How strange is fate, a tragic twist, a comedy
Death by turtle is never kind or even great
But sure is quick
An eagles snack kills poor Aeschylus

The turtle survived but walks with a limp
Slower than usual and was never taken in for questioning
Poor thing lives with sad memories
We think the eagle quit the hard shell industry
Too many injuries

*Authors note: This happens to be a historical fact. Aeschylus was bludgeoned to death by a turtle dropped from on high by an eagle.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2017

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Pigeon Tart Avatar
September 11, 2017 at 7:41 AM
This is awesome :)
Schumacker Avatar
September 11, 2017 at 4:00 PM
Hi Maureen, Thank you so much. I had never heard this story about Aeschylus. I read about it recently and figured it would be well worth doing a poem on a truly bizarre story.
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