by Cheryl Batavia

Gopher Tortoises Displaced

Earthly Days, digital version, now available!

What a delightful visitor! All the rain has made it difficult for landscapers to keep up with mowing. This gopher tortoise noticed and paid us a visit. Robert found the tortoise grazing on our weedy, overgrown lawn next to the woods.

Gopher tortoises build extensive networks of underground burrows which they use for many generations. Other small animals also use these burrows. Many houses are being built in our largely wooded neighborhood, and the habitat of these endangered tortoises is rapidly disappearing.

Gopher Tortoises Displaced

Just last year,

I used to pass by

endangered

tortoises

sunning in the empty lot

next to their burrows…

half asleep,

but prepared to scoot

underground

if threatened.

I watched them from a distance

and gave them their space.

Tortoises

are now displaced by

a new house

being built

over their ancestral home…

time to dig again!

Recently,

while returning home,

I saw two

tortoises

in the middle of the road,

so I stopped the car.

Hard to tell

what was happening…

Was it love?

Was it war?

I carried them to safety…

empty lot nearby.

One tortoise

pursued the other

through the trees,

out of sight…

so focused on each other,

they paid me no mind!

Tortoises,

time to dig again…

a new house,

underground.

Sunning in the empty lot…

but prepared to scoot!

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

Photo by Dawn McDonald from Unsplash

Gopher Tortoise

“Hey, there, you carrying

the tortoise! Hello!”

The boy was walking

toward the Gulf of Mexico.

“Don’t put that tortoise

in the water, please!

It’s not a sea turtle

that travels the seas!”

“That’s a gopher tortoise,

endangered, protected by law…”

Read the rest of this poem in

Earthly Days!

Available on Amazon,

Barnes & Noble,

and other online retailers.

https://a.co/51DGEok

Garland Shardoma

Gopher Tortoises Displaced is my first garland shardoma.

A big thank you to David, who blogs at The Skeptics Kaddish, for talking me into writing a poem in this form. It was great fun writing this, David! ❤

A garland shardoma has seven verses. Each verse has a syllable count of 3/5/3/3/7/5 and is unrhymed. The seventh verse is composed of lines taken from the other verses.

37 Comments

    1. Unknown's avatar

      Joanna, thank you for your very kind response. Glad you enjoyed the post. It was my pleasure to help the tortoises in a small way. I am concerned for their survival here as more new homes are being built. I don’t know if the county would be willing to purchase a few lots and establish a preserve in our neighborhood. I think I will check that out.

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, for your thoughtful comment, Thomas. We have a lot of tourists at the beach who have never seen a tortoise. I felt sorry for the young boy, who meant no harm, but I was glad the tortoise was saved from a swim in the Gulf of Mexico!

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  5. Unknown's avatar

    There is so much to learn from tortoises. I always am amazed at how patient they are. Thank you for sharing these beauties. They are great uplifters. Always on the go.

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  12. Unknown's avatar

    oh what a treat to witness and help them find safety Cheryl. I love your poem and had no idea tortoises lived underground. So nice to here some are scattering about. No doubt they are to safety. I just got word the skunk I called the SPCA on was released❣️
    So happy you have your Kindle version is out!!! Hooray for you👏👏

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Unknown's avatar

      So happy to hear that you liked the poem, Cindy! Thank you so much for your kind response. ❤

      I hope the skunk was released far, far away from you! 🙂

      I don't know why it took so long at the printer, but I am glad the Kindle version is out!

      Have a great week, Cindy! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. Unknown's avatar

    Tortoises are known for their long life and are considered auspicious, and that too on the eve of your book’s digital version launch. You took them to safety, I appreciate your kind gesture. Your lovely poems also show your love for nature. All the best 👍💐💖

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      I hope you will see tortoises sometime. Some are large enough that children could ride on their backs. The ones we have here are smaller than that, but surprisingly heavy for their size. They live a long time. Glad you enjoyed the post, Amber. Thank you for your lovely comment. ❤

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  15. Unknown's avatar

    Interesting. We do not have the Tortoise around our parts, but the big rains flush our massive snapping turtles out of the culverts. Unfortunately, you cannot just pick those up and move them unless you no longer need your fingers ha. Enjoyed the poem!

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Brian, so happy you enjoyed the poem! Giant snapping turtles sound formidable! There is very little of the scrub habitat the Gopher Turtles need in our area of Florida. A house is under construction right in the middle of our small scrub area. The county Parks and Recreations department told me the tortises might be relocated “across the state.” I need to contact Fish and Wildlife about the issue.

      Have a great day! ❤

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