Most poems will be based on or accompany an image (see details in legal notices). The images vary in theme and content, but I'm going to try to keep each accompanying poem at least a little serious in tone. I'll also be providing comments on the poems' contexts.
The poems will not necessarily be from the point of view of turtles or tortoises; in some of the drafts I've been working on, I've found that some of them tend to explore similarities between turtles' and humans' actions, despite their very different contexts (the first poem is an example of this).
I had the idea for this project several months ago, and I finally feel encouraged enough to work on it. I need the discipline required of an ongoing project, and I also have far too many pictures of turtles lying around on my computer -- what better endeavor than to combine the two?
I don't currently have a schedule mapped out for new poems, but I hope to post at least one new piece a week.
Personal Background
I like turtles. I'm not sure if I like turtles more than the kid in the famous YouTube video, but I probably like them at least as much. This project is my tribute to the awesomeness of turtles and tortoises, whose very existence reminds us of just how old and complex our planet is.
I've kept two red-eared sliders for about six years now, and I love encountering other turtles and tortoises in the wild and in the ownership of others. Since my background is in the arts and humanities rather than science, I can't work with them professionally. This means I get to write about them, the prospect of which I find just as enriching.
My Turtles
My two RESs, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, came to me as hatchlings. A good friend had bought them from a petstore that was selling them illegally out the back of his store(the store owner has even been investigated numerous times for animal neglect and abuse). When purchased, Guildenstern had already developed shell rot, and Rosie was listless and nervous. Thankfully, with lots of love, care, and a good percentage of mine and my best friend's meager paychecks, we were able to provide a healthy environment for them. Guil soon became playful and friendly as a puppy, and Rosie is a healthy grouch who seems to believe she's a snapping turtle.
While I'm in England, since the turtles couldn't come with me (thanks to a bunch of assholes who have brought them into the country and released them into the wild), my parents have taken them in. My parents are avid animal lovers. The turtles are in good hands. They have a fenced in area in the yard so they can go outside more often. They also now have cats to stare at.
(I do feel a need to stress, for any readers who might be interested in but unfamiliar with the subject, that turtle-keeping is extremely difficult, time-consuming, and somewhat expensive. If you're thinking of getting a turtle or tortoise but worry that you can't meet their strict care requirements, it's probably best to continue enjoying them in the wild, or play with other people's pet turtles and tortoises, since you don't have to clean up after those.)
Legal Info:
Most poems correspond to specific images of turtles and tortoises; most of these images, it must be noted, are not mine. Ownership of images will be noted where known. However, a lot of these pictures were simply sent to me or otherwise found wandering around on the the internet, so I don't know who owns some of them. If you are the owner of an image that is used here and would like the image removed, please let me know. Even if you don't want it removed, please let me know who you are anyway, so I can give you proper credit if I don't have you acknowledged already.
Pictures taken by me personally will be noted as such.
All poems posted here are original works by me and are written specifically for this project.
Background image copyright National Geographic.
