The Turtle
Slow paced in a fast and frenzied world,
she moved thoughtfully through her life
wearing shyness as a shielding armour
from those creatures who hungrily craved
the tender delicacies of her desirable flesh.
Her turtle instincts sensed the stealthy approach
of another of those sly, carnivorous hunters.
She withdrew into the comforting protection
of her shell—her hard, unyielding, fortified defense—
alarmed by the glimpse of a smiling man.
March, 1992 revised January, 2006
Flowerpoet 