Deckard

The turtle
scared by the cat
turned and backed
slowly down the embankment

and fell with sickening crack
onto his backside
blurbling there in the shallows

I watched as he pushed
his hard arms against the embankment
but he could not right himself
his soft undershell shining
in the light of the streetlamp

My wife ran out of the house
and around the corner over the creek
and down the embankment
turned the turtle over
and listened to his blurbles

I watched from the porch
as she returned
But a strong gust blew a cup down
in the room behind
and when I turned back
the turtle had sank in to the mud
and gone

She is clearly not an android

My status remains questionable