Turtle Fever

I always thought
Of the huge
Galapagos Turtles
As docile,
Slow and cumbersome.

I remember as a kid
Riding them
At the San Diego zoo.
They were like big boulders
That occasionally moved.

They appeared to be
Quiet beasts
So the last thing I expected
Was to discover them
Bellowing like bull elephants.

I was at the zoo in Honolulu, Hawaii
When I heard an incredible commotion
Coming from the Galapagos pen
Where a couple of turtles
Were in the heat of passion.

If you think we humans
Have complicated love lives,
You should have seen
What they were going through.
Nature didn’t make it easy for them.

They don’t appear to be
Anatomically designed
For any kind of active sport
But the vast numbers of them around
Is ample evidence that looks can fool!

What was really hysterical
Was how all the people reacted.
The Japanese tourists
Flashed their Nikons
And a young couple just smiled knowingly!

Some parents of young kids
Covered their children’s eyes,
Or at least tried to
Amid comments like
Look Mommy, One turtle is trying to ride the other!”

Some people tried to turn away
With embarrassed expressions
Written all over their faces
Yet their attention
Was clearly riveted by what was going on.

People are funny about sex
Even if it is just
A couple turtles
Doing their thing
In the “privacy” of their park.