Poem: Tortoise by Tim Mason

Tortoise
by Tim Mason

I set my pace deliberately
keeping precious what matters
under the hard shell
I show the world.

Truth is
survival counts
each step I take assures that.

I'm not much on ambition,
but how long you folks been around?

I put that question to Aesop
when he was a betting lad –
gave my bookie good odds against his rabbit
I left him with a moral and a question
“can you hang?”

Takes time to comprehend
but patience comes with my pace
so let me rephrase that
how do you follow your dreams?

Me, I keep what's precious
under the hard shell
I show the world.