Tortoise

I set my pace deliberately

keeping precious what matters

under the hard shell

I show the world.

Truth is

survival counts

each step I take assures that.

I'm not much on ambition,

but how long you folks been around?

I put that question to Aesop

when he was a betting lad –

gave my bookie good odds against his rabbit

I left him with a moral and a question

“can you hang?”

Takes time to comprehend

but patience comes with my pace

so let me rephrase that

how do you follow your dreams?

Me, I keep what's precious

under the hard shell

I show the world.