there was a tortoise
sitting on
the bank
of the slow moving
river
watching
the turtles float

he was a reptile
like them
had a shell
like them
even his skin
seemed pebbled
just like them

but he wasn’t
no matter
how much
he longed to
float
it just wasn’t
in his nature

life isn’t always fair
he decided
as a hawk
swooped down
to grab a turtle
dropping it
against the rocks

he sat wide eyed
staring
at the carnage
before muttering
a hearty fuck
then lumbering
slowly away