I went to Regents Park Zoo
Sat on the bench at our old spot
Watched the Galapagos tortoises
Dolly, Polly and Dirty Dirk
According to the resident herpetologist
Dirty Dirk is uncommonly randy
For a tortoise in captivity
Though I’ve never seen any evidence of it
Polly didn’t appear particularly anxious but
It could be that the line she made with her tail meant
DO NOT CROSS
They move so slowly
It’s not clear if they are wise or confused
Unhurried or institutionalized
Like us
It seems as though they have lived forever
I wonder about their memory
If they harbour resentment over love lost
Unintentional slights and
The unequal distribution of exotic fruits.
