Webb, Charles Harper

English

The Open Repository @Binghamton (The ORB)

The fiberglass that veterinarians use to patchreal turtles dropped off cliffs,hit by cars, or cracked by hammer-swinging boys,makes a good shell. With enough skill,you can carve a shell from wood, or sculpt oneout of stone. Papier mache’ spares the turtleheavy lifting, but dissolves in rain.Paint the shell as you see fit; carve itwith stars‚ diamonds, naked girls; it’s yourturtle. Use braided wire, jointed dowels,or rubber for the legs and tail. Glued-onsunflower seeds make first-rate scales;or try sequins, for a country-westem feel.Goose-neck lamp-metal works for turtles, too.The tube holds batteries to light the eyes-brown for female, orange for male. The headcan be wood, metal, or p1astic‚ as longas the beak takes an edge, and the jaw moves.Screw or super-glue the head into the neck.(A pink eraser-slice makes a good tongue.)Webb 1401Webb: Building a TurtlePublished by The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB), 2014Fill the shell with something light-crumplednewsprint, spun fiberglass-held in by softleather or plastic that mimics wrinkled skin.Instilling life is trickier. Turtles struckby lightning may “go Frankenstein.”Jesus succeeded by commanding, “Crawl!”(Try it yourself. You never know . . . )The surest bet is to submerge your turtlein water like what sloshed in ancient seas.Cover with a dome that lets in sunand cosmic rays. Wajt in a comfortable place.“Slow as a turtle,” people say.1412Harpur Palate: a Literary Journal, Vol. 14, Iss. 1 [2014], Art. 33https://orb.binghamton.edu/harpurpalate/vol14/iss1/33

Building a Turtle

https://orb.binghamton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2066&context=harpurpalate

Building a Turtle

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