Tarquin The Tortoise

Tarquin the Tortoise lived on his own

Improving the patterns of his mind

His brothers and sisters all left him well alone

For he always made them feel they were stupid and blind

All day long he would lie in the sun

Watching the eagles in the sky

Watching the way, they were carried on the wind

Wondering why he could never fly

But he knew in his heart that the day would soon come

And then, like an eagle, he would fly, towards the sun

Sometimes at night, when no one was around

He'd try and run and jump into the air

But he never could go fast enough, to get him off the ground

And he'd give up in exhaustion and bitter dispair

Surely the secret was his to be found

He knew he had the power to succeed

Why should a tortoise be anchored to the ground

Just because he lacked a little speed

If only the eagle would carry him on high

Then, freed from the earth, he knew, that he would fly

So he spoke to the eagle, who laughed at him in scorn

And showed him the feathers in his wings

You will alwasy be a tortoise, for that's how you were born

So occupy your mind with more tortoise-like things

No cried Tarquin, that cannot be so

For my soul is the soul of a bird

In my mind I've seen things, of which tortoises don't know

And I've listened to things, they've never heard

Take me on your back, to the roof of the sky

And I'll leap from your shoulders and show you, that I can fly

Poor fool, said the eagle, you better come along

And put your theory to the test

You know you are right, and I know you are wrong

And both of us believe that we know best

Spreading out his wings, he rose towards the sky

And Tarquin rode with him on the wind

And he knew the joy and freedom of how it felt to fly

And leave the simple earth so far behind

And he sprang from the eagle, as he felt his powers grow

And he dropped like a stone to his death, on the rocks below.