I Dreamt I was a Tortoise

We are not tortoises.

Would that we were.
That we could retreat into ourselves
Shutting the outside world out;
Shutting ourselves in.

Our beaks lifted in
A soft tongued salute to
Ourselves.
A carapaced, “here’s to me!”

Staring at the sun in defiance,
Unblinking on our
Arched feet
Jerking forward:

One lettuce leaf at a time.

And don’t you call us slow!
Ageless and ancient,
We will outlast you,
As you rush past…

But outside the dream
we rush with you:
Tortoise-less and in love
with ourselves

I Dreamt I was a Tortoise

We have no shells to hide in,
with nothing
to shield our hearts from themselves—
or the hearts of others.