The Turtle and His Shell

He must have thought
Of himself as a turtle,
For he always hid
Within a hardened shell
And retracted his head
In shame or fear
Whenever anyone
Tried to get near.
He timidly trudged along
As if carrying
The weight of the world
On his shoulders,
For he lugged that heavy shell
Everywhere he went.
He saw plenty of others
Scampering about
Who obviously didn’t have
The misfortune
Of thinking they were turtles,
But he could not imagine
Having the courage
It must take
To venture forth
Without such a cover.
Though it was cumbersome,
He kept his faith
That carrying that load
Was his assigned fate,
And his to atone,
So he lived that way
For the rest of his life,
Insulated and alone.