The Turtle in a Tornado

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I am a turtle in a tornado
Spinning wildly around
At unfamiliar speeds,
Shuttling me
Beyond
My comfortable spaces.

My shell
Protects me—
From the storm
Crashing over me,
Smashing into me,
Splattering my feelings,
While my thoughts go reeling.
It keeps me safe
When things go wrong.

My shell creates a barrier
That hides me
From the brutality
That exists outside me,
Camouflaging reality,
Luring me—
Into thinking
I am living.

Moments pass by,
Spinning through time.
I close my eyes;
I cannot watch, nor join.
I like the quiet.
It calms me—
While
I miss out
On opportunities
To live fully.

Time slows down.
I look cautiously around
Before
Sinking back in—
Pushed back
By the modern day insanity
That exists in the world
Outside my shell.