Alexander lived in a coffee can
In the blue tub
On the red wagon
With his manna of hamburger
I found him one day
While away on vacation
He was swimming next to our boat
I offered him some bread
And scooped him up
I took him home
And kept him for the summer
He was the prettiest little painted turtle
Bigger than both my small hands put together
He seemed to like living with us
He had a small rock
Which he basked on
In his tub, on the wagon
Of course, he loved his red meat
I would feed him
Three or four pinches of ground round
Every day
Every night
I'd roll him into the garage
To protect him from critters
All the raccoons and things
That seemed to wander around
At the summers end
I put him in his Maxwell House home
And carried him down to the lake
I laid the can on it's side
And waited for him to come out
After a bit, he did
And without a look to me
He swam away
I left the can there
Hoping he might return
For another bite or two
Of hamburger
But he never did
I dream he is out there still
Fortified by his power diet of meat
In the summer of '78
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