Turtle Island Treasure Hunt

At my eleventh birthday party the adventure began

when I opened up the present from my crazy Uncle Stan

who had a wooden leg and a black patch on one eye.

He gave a wooden chest to me with a turtle inside.

Uncle Stan said, “Arrr,” and with his good eye winked.

“This turtle ye got in this chest is older than ye think!

It was born two hundred years ago, and crawled across the sand

into the waiting, outstretched palm of Pirate Black Tooth’s hand.”

I laughed at his story, as any kid would do,

but when I looked into the chest I thought it might be true.

The turtle’s eyes were ancient, blinking slowly from a nap,

and the pattern of its shell was a buried-treasure map!

After that I didn’t care for clowns or the piñata.

The candles on my cake could have been on a lasagna.

All the party was to me right then was background noise,

as much an interruption as unwrapping birthday toys.

I knew I had a treasure map, but where did it begin?

Uncle Stan tapped on the shell and whispered, “Turtle Island.”

Grateful for the priceless tip I started saying, “Thank…”

but Uncle Stan had disappeared as if he’d walked the plank.

Now, Turtle Island was a place that normal people feared,

located in the haunted place we called The Bay of Weird

where snakes would swarm around your boat, daring it to sink,

and from the pea-green water rose a fog that carried stink.

I shoveled snow all winter, even when I caught the flu,

and mowed lawns through the summer, just to save for a canoe.

I bought the boat and, white on black, I painted on the hull

two hatchets crossed into an “X” below a winking skull.

On a cloudy, misty day I snuck down to the pier

with my boat, my turtle in its chest, and a nagging fear

that I shouldn’t hunt a treasure if I didn’t have a sword…

But I put my ship into the water and I climbed aboard.

As I crossed the stinking bay through a fog with hidden snakes,

I heard a chain fall with a splash, the sound an anchor makes.

The ghost of Pirate Black Tooth’s ship! I nearly dropped an oar!

But with my turtle treasure map I rowed my boat ashore.

There were turtles crawling on the Turtle Island sand,

and right away I saw a giant rock shaped like a hand.

I opened up my wooden chest and whooped a pirate’s yell.

That same exact hand-shape, I saw, was on my turtle’s shell! 

I took my turtle and I climbed onto the rocky palm.

I set my turtle in the hand, and how could I stay calm?

The pattern of my turtle’s shell exactly matched the view.

In the bay I saw a pirate ship and knew I’d be pursued!

Though I followed the map easily, I was a nervous wreck.

I felt like Pirate Black Tooth’s ghost was breathing down my neck!

With every clue I passed the turtles seemed to multiply,

and every turtle turned to stare at me as I rushed by!

When I saw a tree shaped like an anchor at a river’s bend

I knew that my treasure hunt had nearly reached the end. 

The trees grew thick, the vines hung low and daylight seemed to hide

as I approached the last clue that my turtle would provide.

Finally I saw it, a cave like a turtle snout.

I knew I’d find the treasure there, but I might not get out!

In the grip of certain danger, sweat was dripping down my skin,

but my treasure map had brought me to the cave, so I went in.

Deep in the cave I saw him! Pirate Black Tooth with a torch!

He was leaning on a sword and waiting for me, of course.

His face was quite familiar in the torch’s firelight,

the same face as my turtle, but with eyes as dark as night.

“Hello,” I said. “I have your turtle if you want him back.”

His ancient voice growled, “Closer.” And my teeth began to clack. 

As I walked slowly toward him, I saw with him Uncle Stan!

That’s when I knew my turtle was part of a bigger plan.

“Matey,” Pirate Black Tooth rasped. “Perhaps ye wants me treasure.

Treasure I’ll not offer ye, but something that is better…

the chance to fill your own wood chest with riches ye shall make

as I give to ye me ship, Sea Turtle, and me name to take!”

With a smile crossing Pirate Black Tooth’s wrinkled face, he said,

“It’s time that I retired from this pirate’s life I’ve led.

Winking Stan has steered me well. He’s been a fine first mate. 

He’ll do ye well now too,” he ended. That’s when I screamed, “Wait!”

“I don’t need someone else’s name because I have my own.

And some day, by my own self, I will make that name well known.

You’ve got a fine old pirate ship, but I have one to match it.

Down on the beach it’s my canoe I call The Bloody Hatchet.”

Pirate Black Tooth said, “Me matey, I applaud the speech.

Keep me turtle. Let ‘im lead the way back to the beach.

There’s something else I have for ye, offered free of price…

Listen closely. I give ye a Pirate’s best advice!”

I felt my bones start shivering when he gripped my shirt.

He tapped my head and said, “Not all gold’s hidden in the dirt!

Bury ye a treasure, for it’s wise to have a secret…

then feel how your strength grows with how carefully ye keep it.”

We parted ways, he on his ship and me on my canoe.

Winking Stan cried out, “Farewell!” A lonely foghorn blew.

We watched Sea Turtle disappear into the haunted bay.

My uncle took the oars, and we rowed the other way.