For how long has he lived
longer than rivers remember,
longer than the stars
that fell into the first ocean’s cradle.
He survived the weight of worlds,
carrying experience like continents
balanced on his sturdy back.
Why does he move so slow?
Because each step is a prayer,
each pause a meditation
on the burden of memory.
The grim expression tells me
he is an empath,
absorbing the moods of forests,
the grief of storms,
the laughter of children
who once played by his shell.
In myth, they say the turtle was chosen
to bear the Earth
to hold creation steady
while the gods quarrelled in the sky.
He gathered wisdom not by distance,
but by listening deeply
to every heartbeat around him.
His long life is not for leisure,
But for processing the weight of all he absorbs
until he grows closer to God,
a living bridge between silence and eternity.

I’d like to think that the turtle is meditating on each step.
Nicely written Reena 👏
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Thank you so much, Shaun!
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Oh Reena, this is a gorgeous write, bringing in the stories, myths and representations. Thank you for honouring the culture so well with this moving piece.
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Thanks a ton, Mish! It means a lot, coming from the host 😊
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This was wonderful Reena. I really enjoyed it.
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So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
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I love this, Reena! A turtle’s journey beautifully expressed. Brava!
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Ever grateful for the engagement 🙏
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😊
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I love this deep-dive study into the Turtle Reena, you honour the concept of Truth as something that must be carried, not just spoken 💞
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Aren’t we all carrying a burden of unspoken truths?
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🙏
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I love how you foucused on the age, as always we should really believe that we gather wisdom (but I see many who doesn’t too)
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I come across them too. Somehow, the depth and breadth of experience does not match in those cases.
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I enjoyed following your turtle, Reena, from his inception before ‘the stars
that fell into the first ocean’s cradle’, through each step and pause, forest and storm, to his place as a ‘living bridge between silence and eternity’. Delightful.
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Thank you so much! Turtles give the impression of being sooo ancient.
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My pleasure, Reena. They do.
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