<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size: large;">We are all turtles in this world<br><br>We are turtles <br>in this world <br>carrying our houses <br>on our backs<br>itinerant farmers <br>refugee craftsmen <br>immigrant truth seekers <br>our leathered legs <br>bent close to the earth <br>dust on our wrinkled necks<br>thorned toes spread wide <br>as if we had just landed <br>moving so slowly<br>we are not detected <br>by the radar <br>of the mind police. <br>We are an army <br>of aging amphibious soldiers <br>protesting the injustice<br>of time by outliving <br>our heroes and tormentors. <br>We do not leap we shuffle<br>we take one small step <br>at a time without thought <br>to future or regret. <br>We will be there <br>when the race is over <br>when it is over <br>we will still be <br>on our slow <br>and unnoticed journey</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size: large;"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- David Handsher</div></div></body></html>