Turtles are a wonderful topic for a poem. They are deeply symbolic. Being both aquatic and land living, they’ve often been viewed as doorways between our world and the world of the fairies. Turtles are a slow and methodical, shy creatures that retreat to their shell when startled. Turtles are potent with metaphor. People associate them with patience, longevity, and wisdom. Some cultures think it’s turtles that are holding up all the world. There’s not a lot that rhymes with turtle, though we suppose you could say, “the hurtled turtle ate some myrtle.” Ouch. Good luck if you’re writing your own poem about turtles. For our part, here are three original turtle poems you’ll find only at Shadow of Iris. We hope you like them!
Turtle Dance, a poem
by Emma Blue
I want to see a ballerina
dance upon the back
of a turtle, floating at sea.
It must be late at night,
and there must be a full moon
that casts just the right amount
of luminescence upon our ballerina.
She will be dressed all in silver,
so that she’ll glow with an eerie ambience.
She’ll do a pirouette, a spin that ignites
the dead hours of the night
and casts a radiance
over tall black waves,
and onto the wide back of the turtle
which will then begin to glow
with the incandescence of rainbow.
Turtles Smile, a poem
by Dustin Down
Watch the turtle in profile
and you’ll see who he is.
He is our collective ancestor.
He’s got that smile—
the one that a grandfather
gives a rambunctious grandchild
just as he’s getting trouble.
It’s a wise smile
that understands youth
but has learned patience.
Turtles, short poems
by the Eclectic Minstrel
1
It must be nice to be a turtle.
A turtle can withdraw within,
and hide from the world
until things better—
we do the same, I suppose,
but we lack the shell.
2
Turtles are small islands
that float in the cool water
on a hot day—
the place a bird stands for moment
to rest
after a long flight.
3
Despite their hard safe shell
turtles have very longs necks
and sometimes, they unwisely
stick them out too far.
4
I held the turtle gently
between thumb and forefinger
and I waited patiently
for him to stop being scared of me
so that he would stick his head out
and say hello.
Try to be like the turtle—
at ease in your own shell.
— Bill Copeland
We really hope you enjoyed these poems. Don’t run away, instead like the turtle, exercise a little patience and wisdom— go the side bar and follow Shadow of Iris so you don’t ever miss one of our poems. Didn’t you know, reading a poem a day adds to one’s longevity. 