Mikaela Castledine #42 On the very day

On the very day

I argued with a man

about turtles and tortoises

(asserting

with the full backing of

the internet

that despite them walking about

often and quite busily on the land

long necked snake necked south western chelodina

are in fact turtles

and in any case

the one I am carrying is my own creation

to which I attach the right 
of naming it a turtle)

a tortoise

a real Madagascan one

is stolen from the zoo

with grave fears for its safety

On the following day it was returned

anonymously unharmed

it's a coincidence all right

but still it stands

there are no

true tortoises
native to Australia