One Single Impression: Shells

Here from Earth's get-go,
Turtles get everything.

What I know of their story
Teaches me to live mine.

Tenured reptiles when the dinosaurs arrived,
They nevertheless hit the road
Rather than work with those overlarge
And possibly rambunctuous oafs,
Even if they were relatives.

They took that flying leap into the ocean,
Trading clawed toes and legs for sleek flippers,
The slow plod for the breast stroke,
The light of day for deep water,
And here they are today,
Bigger and better than our story,
Wiser in their silence
Than we are in our
Whatever you call it
That we don't know how to shut off.
(Conversation?)

On land or in the ocean,
They are at home in a shelter that
Grows from their own spine.

(Think about this:
Do you call your central nervous system home,
Or do you run for help at the slightest interruption
Of flow?)

Come out of your shell if you want
And when.
Go back in when you please
And feel completely safe
And completely yourself.

Live on.
It's good.

One Single Impression