A denial nap
January 08, 2009
Imagine an axis right through the center of his skull from ear-hole to ear-hole. He bites his leathery beak lip and rotates his flat head downward around this axis; tucking his chin while elevating the terminating end of his spine. Neck scrunches short and tight. Head retracts into shell. Black eyes squint then close. Nostrils purse; fending off light snow. Weathered arms and legs curl and draw in slow and wary. Tail tucks and retracts. His shell is brittle, stinging cold; it presses against his body.
A light drift of snow waxes and wanes in a lazy swirl around his calcium fortress. Bitter frustration crystallizes into resignation with the dropping temperature. His blood cools and slows; his digestive tract dries. His heart softens to a feeble quiver; his breath to a whisper.
Wake me up in April.
Tags for this piece: sleep winter turtle snow nap weather