An Ode to Tortsie
By jeand
- 1784 reads
AN ODE TO TORTSIE
Finally we got you, the much longed for pet.
“Can we have a dog, Mum?” “Oh, no, not yet.
But maybe a tortoise might just be allowed,
Not so much mess, and really not loud.”
You really didn’t look much, like a pile of old rocks.
You surely were scared as you messed in your box.
We fussed you and mussed you but you didn’t peep.
We teased you and chased you. You just went to sleep.
We called you Clover, and August and Torts,
Crunchy and Leg-Leg and names of all sorts.
We made you a house just like in the book
But you stuck up your nose when you gave it a look.
What a pet, was my thought, Not really much fun.
You’d eat a small leaf - walk about - then you’re done.
You didn’t seem to think much of our scenes,
Kept trying to run off - to find greener greens.
We nearly forgot you, no longer a thrill,
We’d give you your food and a bath too but still
You'd ignore our good food and you didn’t like the bath,
You didn’t like the garden and you strayed off the path.
We even did extra and got you some meat.
We did have to do it, we'd signed on the sheet.
But you must admit - you didn't eat much.
Grass was you main food and bananas and such.
Then when you settled down for your long winter nap
We tucked you in straw in a box with a cap.
We knew you were safe there, but sometimes we'd look
To see if you were okay, like it says in the book.
But early you woke up when it was still cold.
We took you inside to be part of our fold.
We bathed you with water to open your eyes.
We got your best foods out to give a surprise.
You were so pleased to be up and around
You clawed at the walls and you looked for some ground
But try as we could you wouldn’t eat food
You slept on the banana - surely not good.
But then your nose got bubbly and ran.
Your energy lessened, You looked a bit wan.
You didn't seem shy now - you liked us to pet -
To tickle and stroke you with face cloths real wet.
But still you got worse so we went to the vet
And a shot in your back leg is what you did get.
To make you feel better— he told us that you
Would like baths quite often and that was true too.
But alas and alack— it was just not enough
You firmly refused to put your mouth to the stuff.
You walked to the window - for the sun or the view
Or the flowers that grew near - We never quite knew.
A false hope came— you had eaten some grass.
But the effort it cost you meant that it was your last.
That morning we found you still snug in your shell
With some grass in your mouth, so we knew you died well.
Now you've gone off to heaven or maybe to Hell,
Because it wasn't hot here, as I know so well.
The house seems so empty, so clean and so sad
But we’ll never forget you - You're the best pet we’ve had.
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Comments
Ahh!!
Ahh!!
A really good one Jean. Pets are such a responsibility aren't they. My first pet was a budgie, he was lovely. He escaped one day, door left open. I was distraught, then someone said he's just round the corner, bring the cage. I held out my hand, he obligingly landed on my finger, and was safely back in his cage.
Thank you for the smile Jean.
Lindy
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I love the childlike quality
I love the childlike quality of this, Jean. A great voice and an amusingly sad, sad story, really well told in rhyme. My uncle wanted a dog. He begged and begged until in the end my nan gave in and let him have a tortoise. Not the same thing at all...
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Aww, Jean! If I had a lawn I
Aww, Jean! If I had a lawn I would want a tortsie too. An engaging slice of autobiography
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