If a Tortoise, If a Turtle

Dedicated to my favourite poet - Shelley If a tortoise, if a turtle You are never going to hurtle Witness how your limbs are placed Splayed east to west, all carapaced what if some meat-eating moron, Jonesing for a snack to gnaw on, sees you sumo-stepping by thinks "Hey look - a fresh meat pie"? Running will beget disaster You beat a hare so now you're faster? You let your tasty bits protrude and pretty soon they're getting chewed No! Stop to suck your vitals in, and hope he likes his toothy grin Cause it's going to get busted your gooey filling's well encrusted