TURTLE POETRY
Editorial Introduction. — This section is devoted to poetry involving turtles, representing either reprinted previously published or new unpublished material. We encourage our readers to submit poetry or songs for consideration, either their own material or work by other authors. Poems may be submitted to Anders G.J. Rhodin, Chelonian Research Foundation, E-mail: RhodinCRF@aol.com.
Our desire is to share with our readers the beauty and wonder of turtles as expressed through the art of the poem or song. In the sense that the relationship between humans and turtles is multifaceted, so too is turtle poetry. The poems we publish here will reflect that complexity, from poems of pure admiration for the creatures themselves to others reflecting the utilization of turtles and their products. Some poems will reflect people’s use of the turtle for sustenance, others will stress our need to preserve and protect turtles. Some will deal with our emotional interactions with turtles, others will treat turtles light-heartedly or with seeming disrespect, but all will hopefully help us to better understand both the human and the chelonian condition, and remind us that the turtle holds a sacred place in all our hearts.
A Box Turtle Named Robin1
Gwen Carlson
Ancient earth dweller in the hushed damp of an Indiana forest,
the turtle’s shell is light falling on dead leaves. Years ago tagged
614 with a clasp of metal but now, in honor of Jane Goodall,
the researchers grant names and he is dubbed Robin.
A willful old man with a welcoming smirk,
there is no retreating into his artful home as
a scientist approaches. Most other box turtles
make good use of camouflage and locking
keratin, while Robin stands his proud ground, watches
and waits. He is picked up, almost an eager
participant, craning with curiosity
to observe, then gifts his captor
with a line of scratches, the quick
clawing of a strong, orange-mottled arm. We can think of
our own costumes now, assumptions and
misunderstandings that attach themselves, harden
on our backs. This is not a wise reptile,
nor slow, nor reticent. This shelled being is restless,
forward, mischievous. Killer of worms, king of the
toadstools. He is set down and stumbles off into the
undergrowth, smiling at the interruption. He has outlived
careers, traversed cavernous miles, lost a piece of carapace
to a raccoon, graced the cover of a journal
with the grizzled beauty of his face. He is still grinning,
exposing his bulky limbs luxuriously, surviving,
and never retreating, despite any associations
of his kind we may entertain.
His keen red eyes flashing with
his own thoughts, refusing to back down,
his own perception of who he was meant to be,
how he will live with the breath he is given.
Editorial Comment. — Gwen J. Carlson is a writer with a background in biology and nutrition with academic publications and also a published poet (Wabash Review, Consilience, Honeyguide Magazine). She is the spouse of Bradley E. Carlson, a herpetologist at Wabash College, Indiana, who has been studying the ecology and personality traits of Eastern Box Turtles, Terrapene carolina carolina, in an old-growth forest there that harbors a population of Box Turtles that has been marked, monitored, and studied for more than 65 years. The male turtle subject of this poem, given the name Robin (#614) by the research team, was first encountered and marked as an adult in 1958 and most recently encountered again during the summer of 2023 (now at least 72 years old), inspiring Gwen to write this poem about this turtle’s outgoing personality, fearlessness, and apparent self-assurance. Animal personality studies are increasingly important in helping to understand variation in ecosystem function, species interactions, and the success of conservation efforts. We have all encountered turtles that have very different ways of interacting with us, from timid and withdrawn to openly aggressive and assertive. This is not surprising when we think about how our own personalities differ so markedly from one person to another. We each need to be who we were meant to be, and live our lives with the breath given us.
Contributor Notes
Composed 2023. Published with permission of the author. Photo of Robin, the Box Turtle, by Brad Carlson.
