Why be a Mud Turtle
I should certainly hate to be a mud turtle! He
lives encased in a hard shell into which he withdraws
at the slightest hint of opposition. He is wholly un-
receptive: when anything unfamiliar is presented to
him he refuses to argue or even to examine; he just
retires. He is by the nature of his shell incapable of
looking upward; and it is quite evident by the unvary-
ing routine of his days that he considers a moldy-log
muddy-water life the only sensible existence. In some
remote geologic age, when first the marine reptiles
were venturing out upon the land, he made his choice.
His scaly brothers, crawling painfully toward their
dreams of dry land and wings and the promise of air,
left him smug and content in the primordial slime.
Why be a mud turtle?
Contributor Notes
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 — This section is devoted to poetry involving turtles, representing either reprinted previously published or new unpublished material.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 at Chelonian Research Foundation [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 man 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 man's use of the turtle for sustenance, others will stress man's 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.
Submitted by Brian D. Horne
