optimism

One sleeps on the rock
above a pool of tap water
while the other tries to climb
the sloped wall, slides down.
Tries, slides.

Stern face with its one expression.
No, with two expressions: eyes closed

eyes open. Or the head retracted
in its shell. Are they happy?
Yes. This bowl is a better home

than the pail on the street so packed with turtles, turtles
crawled on each other, no rock
but the shell of another, smoke of the turtle
seller’s cigarette descending.

In…