By Thomas Caterer
‘You’ll get what you deserve when you die
rest assured of that!’
the tortoise said this to me, just after I stomped on a frog
by mistake mind you, and he did die instantly
I cleaned the guck from the bottom of my shoe
and yet not the guilt from my heart
‘It was an accident!’ I protested
yet the tortoise showed me no sympathy
he walked across the sand, his expression severe
‘you rush about carelessly, not looking where you’re going,
not paying attention to your surroundings,
now poor Mr. Frog is as dead as disco!’
I have often thought of this as years have flown by
the karmic consequences of our actions
are destined to catch up to us eventually
I should have paid more attention this I can admit
Tortoise and I eventually became friends,
putting our differences aside
one night as he poured me a fine whiskey,
taken from an oak cabinet
I asked; ‘is it ever frustrating to move so slow?’
‘Moving so slow… it means you see less in life, and yet more clearly’
his eyes welled up a little as his flippers gripped his tumbler of Scotch
‘you do not need to rush, you see the fine details in what you do see’
I replied, ‘you don’t step on any frogs, I suppose?’
‘Well ape, no I guess not, not that I remember from this life anyway’ he said
with a kind smile on his old face
I remembered again his first words to me;
‘You’ll get what you deserve when you die
rest assured of that!’
I don’t know if justice is all that quick,
as we all die so soon
but eventually I’m sure he’s proved right
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