An Ode to Tortsie

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.