The Ancient Wisdom of the Turtle

With eyes like pools reflecting ancient skies,

I've watched the world in slow, deliberate guise.

Centuries etched upon my carapace so strong,

A silent witness to the changing song.

I've lumbered past where towering mountains stood,

Now worn to gentle slopes by time's soft flood.

Forests I knew, vibrant and emerald green,

Have bowed to deserts, a parched and barren scene.

Great glaciers crept, then melted to the sea,

Reshaping land where creatures danced so free.

Mighty empires rose in fleeting pride,

Then crumbled back to dust, where empires hide.

Through famine's grip and winter's biting breath,

I've burrowed deep, and waited out the death.

For life, I've learned, is not a constant race,

But patient steps, a steady, winning pace.

The fleeting fawn, the eagle's soaring flight,

A blur compared to my enduring sight.

I've seen the stars shift in their endless dance,

The moon's soft glow, a constant, guiding glance.

The world may rush, in chaos spin and churn,

But wisdom whispers, lessons yet to learn.

For within my shell, a timeless truth resides,

Slow and steady, nature's course confides.

So let the wind sing anthems of the past,

The future dawns, a mystery to be cast.

With steady heart and ancient, knowing gaze,

I'll meet each day, through nature's winding maze.