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TORTOISES
Nipping her ankles,
Which she drags apathetic away, though without
retreating into her shell.
Agelessly silent,
And with a grim, reptile determination,
Cold, voiceless age-after-age behind him, ser-
pents' long obstinacy
Of horizontal persistence.
Little old man
Scuffling beside her, bending down, catching his
opportunity,
Parting his steel-trap face, so suddenly, and seiz-
ing her scaly ankle,
And hanging grimly on,
Letting go at last as she drags away,
And closing his steel-trap face.
His steel-trap, stoic, ageless, handsome face.
Alas, what a fool he looks in this scuffle.
And how he feels it!
The lonely rambler, the stoic, dignified stalker
through chaos,
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