we built mazes around our turtles.

we built mazes so vast they would never
escape & there was wall after wall 
after wall of obstacle & kitchen appliances
plugged into infinite outlets--
a mixer stirring the air & the turtles
didn't know the other one was there too.
they walked slowly, claw foot claw foot 
scritching along the floor without 
opening their mouths to make words.
i encouraged them from the clouds--
i told them if they only said the word
we would remove them from the labyrinth.
threats have never made anyone talk though
especially animals. my sister & i sat on clouds 
made of knotted maple cotton candy.
we discussed more ways to get the turtles
to understand what we wanted. only now
am i reminded of the story of the tortoise
& the hair & how we prove it wrong
as our two turtles ambled aimless
in the hallways of contraption. there were
walls made of ice & walls made of crying 
& walls made of our neighborhood where 
we were the weird kids eating Cheese-zits 
from the scraggly grass-- sometimes breaking them
to share sometimes keeping a whole nest
to ourselves. the smell of ice got stronger.
we both wanted to let the turtles out
& laying in our separate beds we would feel
their lumbering bodies as if they were
crawling through our veins. so we would go,
taking turns to check on them
to see they were still in their corridors 
to see they were still not using words.
i spoke softly saying repeat after me
i am a reptile & my blood is cold.
the turtle opened its mouth & said 
i am versatile & made of mold. so close
so close. i wanted to wake my sister up
but i also needed to be the only one 
who knew my turtle had spoken & i had
taught her. i was the good mother.
i was the fissures of an egg. i ask the swing set
in the backyard why god picked us
to be the strange ones & he responded 
with a shrug so i let the turtles go--
telling them not to walk near the busy street.
my sister was furious because we were supposed
to make them learn-- to make the turtles
finish the maze but they weren't even close.
i didn't want to watch them struggle.
the toaster plugged into my arm pops 
& the television breaths static. there are
so many outlets around here & the turtles are going to
love me forever because i am the one who
told them to go & be free from this science fair.
i shrank myself down. i put on a shell
& took the maze for myself. my beautiful 
inescapable garden. this is mine.