By: Han Li

Oh, tortoise!

How small and frightened

You must have felt

Being lifted up

By large, strong yet gentle hands

then DARKNESS

Then when you

came out of that

Cotton drawstring bag

In a

Small square box

Insulated with styrofoam

Oh, tortoise!

How openly

You accepted

Me

And

Your new home

When set within

The glass box

With the heat lamp

Shining down upon your

Colorful

Patterned

Shell

Oh, tortoise!

How hungrily you chomped down

On your first delicious

Piece of cabbage

Slice of strawberry

We feasted together

You and I

Oh, tortoise!

We had so much fun

Over the years

From when you were only

2 inches long

And I only

4 ½ feet tall

To when grew to the size of 2 feet long

And I

5 ½ feet tall

But alas

This has not come to be yet

As you were not born yet

But you shall come into this

Beautiful world

Tonight

Oh, tortoise!

How small and frightened

You must have felt

When you

Came out of your tiny white egg

An only child

Not knowing your mother

But still daring to face the world…

All Alone

Thank you, Herman, my beautiful, brave, and, friendly tortoise

For coming into my life

One warm sunny afternoon