Tortoise Wisdom

'Could you be any slower?'

Said the hare to Brother Tortoise,

'Why, I could run to the edge of the world

and back and you'd still be on your doorstep!'

'I don't mind all that Brother Hare,'

replied he in slow deliberate tone,

'As long as I reach my destination,

I don't mind at all how long it takes.'

The years wore on

and Brother Hare continued to run.

He zipped and zoomed

til he almost flew,

growing faster with each passing day.

Brother Tortoise kept on his steady gait,

never faltering in his discipline.

He watched the hare rush

madly toward the end of his days.

It was the same for the hare's son,

grandson and down the line-

Blowing through life

At the speed of sound,

Seeing but never understanding,

hearing but never listening.

The tortoise's life was not so;

He received the greatest prize of all:

For you see,

In taking the time to live,

Brother Tortoise really lived.