chelydra serpentina 8 comments
Chelydra serpentina
through tangled
emergents,
a mossy boulder
lurches forth
great clawed feet
plow and paddle
a mucky furrow
to water’s edge
beaked maw agape,
soft pink tongue coils
as cudgel head
swings mightily
bear-trap jaws
snap closed tightly
as my canoe
drifts into view
head retracts,
buried in slimy
leech-encrusted folds
of telescoping neck
unblinking,
two gold-rimmed pupils
regard me with
some suspicion
pushing off,
the snapper cruises
slowly by the
starboard gunwale
ancient eyes turn
to inspect
what appears to be
a common specimen
webbed feet wave
dismissively
as saw-toothed tail bends
to steer a new course.
trailing a filmy
algae veil
the sharp-keeled carapace
drifts into the murky deep.
Bev Wigney ©2009
Yes, I know. Rather a departure from the usual fare on this blog.
Now, about the above photo. It was taken several years ago during a stream survey on the Jock River just west of Ottawa, Ontario. A friend first spotted this very large Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) looking like a great boulder nestled in emergent vegetation along the water’s edge. The above poem was inspired by the photo, but combines a couple of other snapping turtle encounters from my many years of paddling in eastern Ontario. On one occasion, while Don and I were taking a lunch break on Morton Creek, I had my feet dangling in the water cooling off, when a huge snapper surfaced with mouth open just as I happened to pull my foot back in over the gunwale. It slowly drifted back and forth surveying us from above and just below the surface. I suspect that it was attracted by my toes splashing on the surface. In the past, water snakes have come to me when I’ve been splashing about on the water’s edge in places where there are frogs, so assume that sound, vibration, and water agitation do attract these reptiles.
Apart from writing a poem, there’s just a little new to report since my last post. I continue to be busy moving the last of my belongings into a storage locker. There’s just a little more work to do on the van to make it roadworthy as a camper vehicle. In spare moments, I’ve been going over maps and plotting a route that will take us to many camp sites between Ontario and British Columbia. I’ve been asking friends for ideas on favourite places to camp or hike anywhere along my route. Around mid-October, I plan to cross into the U.S. to wander down the west coast before making my way to southeast Arizona for the winter. Along the way, I hope to write, draw, paint and catch up on some reading. As many of you know, the past couple of years have been incredibly intense, and the two years before weren’t much better, so I’m looking forward to some real down-time, exploring the road less-traveled, with Sage and Sabrina.
8 Responses to 'chelydra serpentina'
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The description of the creature in the first five sentences almost reminds me of the descriptions of Behemoth and Leviathan in the book of Job — a similar conjuration of implacable, armored otherness.
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(I meant stanzas, not sentences.)
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robin – thanks! yes, do be sure to visit RWP and take a look around. I’m sure you would like it.
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dave – interesting! i should take a look at Job to see what you mean. -
Bev – great photo of the snapper. It’s a long trip from the dozy box turtles to that behemoth/leviathan, as Dave says. Just don’t step on it!
Funny story about the toes dangling in the water – glad they lived to tell about it. It gives me an idea. The large snapping turtle that frequents and moves among our three larger ponds the last few years keeps showing up. I might figure out which she’s in this way, although I don’t think I’ll use my toes.
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Wayne – Thanks. Yes, these aren’t at all “dozy”, although some people think they are due to their ponderous size. They’re actually lightning fast when they want to bite something. I’ve seen them lunge forward at someone who came too close to the front end, so they can be surprisingly quick. They also have such great mass. Over the years, Don and I occasionally moved very large ones off busy roads and let me tell you, *they weigh*! Good idea about using something to attract the attention of the big snapping turtle in your ponds to figure out where she might be at any given time — but, no, don’t use your toes. (-:
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Nice post and poem. Your writing here fits well with my current feelings of acute awareness of the passage of time. Summer is slipping by. It seems like you were just recently leaving Arizona to head back up to Canada, and now you are ready for the return migration. Safe travels to you- I hope to see lots of pictures.
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Doug – Oh, there will be pictures. I’ll try to take and post more on this trip. Last year, rather out of character, I shot very few photos of flora and fauna while traveling. My state of mind is a little different now — not necessarily all that much better, but I believe I’m paying more attention to the natural world again these days. The pace will be so much different too. Agree about the passage of time. I was just figuring out dates from the past year or so and it seems like some aspects of life have flashed by, while others seem as though they’ve taken forever.
Oh yes, I love the description of being regarded as a common specimen. Great photo and poem, bev. I should head over to RWP.
I have been wondering if you and your mom ever made it to Nova Scotia. I’m glad that you will be heading west soon, and then south. Perhaps through our neck of the woods. Keep us posted…