by Julia Griffin

“Turtle on runway causes delays at Japan’s main international airport”
—Independent

“Wandering ostrich causes Cape Town traffic chaos”
—BBC News

Let the bird of longest legs
And the beast of chic-est shell
Keep apart and spare us hell!
Thus the world of transit begs.

Ostrich wanders down the road;
Turtle on the tarmac sits;
Motorists are having fits;
Pilots fear they may explode;

No one, though, desires to squash
Either obstacle, oh no:
Turtle’s conquered Tokyo,
Ostrich, Greater Stellenbosch;

Thus the latter fears no car,
And the former dreads no plane;
Transport struggles with the strain,
But no harm’s been done—so far.