Box Turtle Poem

With short, stout and scaled legs,
you lift your domed shell.
And despite your famous boxiness,
you actually walk quite well.

When danger comes,
you do not cringe.
Just close the door,
with your handy hinge.

You eat your meals,
with your sharp, horned beak.
But if food is scarce,
you can fast for a week.

Your menu of worms, slugs and bugs,
does not sound very tasteful.

Add mushrooms, berries and fallen fruit,
you certainly are not wasteful.

You red-eyed males,
are quite impressive.
But the brown-eyed girls,
are they more expressive?

The patterns on your carapace,

resemble hieroglyphics.

A mysterious code of yellow lines,

blotches, spots and widgets.

 I count the growth rings on your square scutes,

a fairly accurate gauge.

Three times I've counted seventeen,

so that must be your age.

©  2012  Richard Havenga

NOTE:

This poem is meant to be read aloud to children in the style of Dr. Seuss.
Have fun with it. Share this poem with your kids' teachers.


(Click on any photo to enlarge)



Photo Location:  Townsend Park, (Townsend Park) Cannonsburg, (Cannonsburg) Michigan