Plants Eat Elephants Poem by Paul Hartal

"Don't be silly", said the Engineer.
"Plants don't eat elephants".

"Yes, they do", said the Turtle.

"No", said the Engineer,
"It's the other way around,
Elephants eat plants."

"Both assertions are correct."

The engineer scratched
his head Incredulously.
"I can't believe my ears", he said,
"You must be kidding."

"No. I ‘m utterly serious",
said the Turtle.

"Then you owe me a rational
explanation."

"You think that I'm delusional
because your thinking
Is linear, whereas mine cyclical, "
said the Turtle.

"What do you mean? "

"Well, nature recycles life."

"I know that", the Engineer said.

The Turtle smiled.

"Then you also understand",
he said, "that as elephants die,
they decay Into the soil and
the nutrients of their bodies
nourish seeds that sprout into
plants, which in turn
the elephants will eat."