The Turtle | Teen Ink

The Turtle

February 3, 2011
By crmeola BRONZE, Slingerlands, New York
crmeola BRONZE, Slingerlands, New York
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The turtle lives inside his head,
Snug in a cozy shell.
He preferred to talk to no one,
Because he had nothing to tell.

The turtle was asleep until,
He heard the squirrel say “Hi.”
“Hey Mister Turtle, can I ask,
Why you’re alone inside?”

The turtle poked out his head,
For a second or two.
To snap, “It’s none of you business,
And I don’t want to talk to you.”

The squirrel said “Mister Turtle,
You have to take a look.
At all the wonders of the world.”
Which is when she got out her book.

She flipped to a page of mountains,
Oceans, deserts, waterfalls.
Australia, Paris and Egypt,
And even the Taj Majal.

“If you never leave that shell,” she said,
“You’ll never get to see
All of the things that make the earth,
A wonderful place to be.”



The turtle thought about these words,
Throughout the day and night.
“Maybe I should try.” he said,
“Maybe I just might.”

And so the next morning,
With the squirrel by his side,
He decided to try and see,
What life was like outside.

He attracted quite a crowd,
It was the story of the year.
And when he finally came out
Of his shell, all the animals cheered.

The turtle gave a smile,
It was his first in a while, until,
The squirrel cued out the cheering,
And handed him a bill.

“I’m very proud of you,” she said,
“But my services aren’t free.”
She almost forgot to say,
“Make the check to the travel agency.”


The author's comments:
It illustrates the transition from childhood to young adulthood where kids are reserved and afraid to be themselves. It also shows that that maturity comes with a price.

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This article has 3 comments.


Gina said...
on Mar. 3 2011 at 1:41 pm
This is an insightful poem for kids and teens alike who could relate well to the turtle. We all need a squirrel to encourage us and bring us out of our shell! Have you ever thought about expanding this idea for a children's book?

Mrs. Steck said...
on Feb. 22 2011 at 8:30 pm
Fabulous parallel between the turtle and humanity!  I especially enjoyed the employment of quatrain in the poetic verse.  Keep writing!

on Feb. 22 2011 at 9:08 am
I made an error in ranking, thinking (I used to be dyslexic) the left most star was the highest. Please reverse. I thought the poem was great and a wonderful metaphor for youths emerging from their shells.