You may overhear in peculiar circles

That birds such as parrots

Began life as turtles

They each have a beak

And have pointy sharp claws

Though the parrot is vocal the turtle withdraws

It is true if you investigate each with a finger

Then either you’ll lose it

Or the pain will sure linger

So if turtles decided to shell off their shells

And take to the air

I’m not really sure where

It would really be tricky to make the distinction

Forgetting the feathers

And obviously the friction

The distance, direction the noise and the colour

The lack of objective

And that turtles are duller

When turned in reverse if the parrot was grounded

It might need a shell

To avoid being hounded

So if caught in a fight or in imminent danger

A burger container

May with little regard

Be fully converted for beak, wing and feather

To house a small parrot

And make it look hard

So when all’s done and dusted and you’re somewhere quite strange

May this thought travel with you

And please don’t be confused

If a turtle flies over with reptilian abandon

There’s a parrot around, in a carton...bemused.

Richard Lee 2005