I Wish I Weren'T a Turtle
I WISH I WEREN’T A TURTLE
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS
I wish I weren’t a turtle, I’d rather be a hare
I beat him every time, but no one seems to care
I carry this armor plate every where I go
Designs on them are worthless, its just for show
But I’m just a plain ole turtle, not a clever terrapin
I stay distant from the water cause, folks, I can’t swim
I stick to terra firma where my claws get a good grab
I wish I could propel sideways, like my ole pal the crab
I might be slow and some say totally pragmatic
If I get to my destination, I am completely ecstatic
I’ve got some kin; that are never ever outsmarted
Go far out to sea then return to where they started
You may have heard of them, Loggerhead, Leatherback
Hawksbill, Green. They are mariners seldom seen
And for those of you that don’t know didley
Let me introduce you to the Olive Ridley
They cruise at will through the seven seas
While I stumble constantly into forest debris
As you can see my family members travel far
Yet, I’m lucky crossing the street, avoiding a car
And I have a plethora of enemies as well
I’d have been eaten long ago, if not for this shell
I’m most vulnerable during the mating season
Rivals try to upend me to claim the warm one
So that’s how it goes, each day is the previous
Winter will soon be here, I’ve got to get serious
I’ll comb the swampy areas for some real soft mud
I’ll bury myself and hope spring won’t bring a flood
I’ll shut down all my systems, I won’t even breathe
Til the sun the warms me, I’ll constantly utter a prayer
That when I awake I’ve been transformed into a hare
Humbuggery
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