A Turtle's Tale.

By John Wilcy Mandru

When she first cracked open her eyes,
A tough, white shell met her surprise.
Yearning to glimpse the boundless skies,
She kicked, cracked, and fell as she tries.

The allure of the place she stood,
Filled her heart with joy, it understood.
Above her head, she felt a heavy cup,
Too burdensome for her to sup.

Assumptions and dreams kept her guide,
Masking each harsh truth that defied.
With binding shells on either side, she tries,
While her interest in the worldly charms did not hide.

Pain emerged from the haunting noises,
While her shell filled with claw scrapes.
That not only left unfading scars
But also showed truth's bars.

Terrified by the brutality,
It took her a while to accept reality.
Being naked in her naive mind,
She did not hesitate being kind.

Her confidence, though, never worn.
Her innocence, a thing to mourn.
The fog of assumptions that masked,
did disappeared as the days passed.

Seeking a place for escape,
She couldn't find even a trace.
Hiding in the waters for her own rescue matters,
Little did she know, that the demons can also be in blue?

Rambled every corner for the space
Where protection shields her grace.
Hiding under her carapace,
She discovered a new world, her safe space.

Through the days of toil, hardships borne,
In search of solace, she's forlorn.

In the haven where she found her peace,
Her carapace, she realized, it's her own embrace.