Turtle exits its hiding place
beneath a rotten log.
Its shell snags on that old, dead wood
he drags the log along.
Does he know that he's double-shelled?
He seems so unaware.
When he breaks free, he gains no speed --
just crawls on like he don't care.
ducks jump off a ledge,
bobbing once in pond water,
and drift onward.
A turtle swims to water's edge,
and finds before him a steep bluff.
He makes himself a solemn pledge,
"I'll scale this cliff, however tough!"
Struggling over the toilsome rim,
he sees another wall of stone
stands just ahead - tormenting him.
"Just one more, I'll not piss and moan."
If he could know that it was stairs,
He'd have some turtle curse words to share.
climbing grasshopper
clings to gently bouncing branch;
sure to fall
before the next crunchy leaf
succumbs to Autumn breezes.
Sure, I just saw a bird fly past my window, and I’m fairly certain that it wasn’t domesticated.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 