The Squeaky Garden Snail
A quiet baby and toddler nature story about a slow snail, wet bricks, raindrops, soft horns and a silver trail.
SLITHER.
Snail slides
on cold brick.
Wet brick.
Rough brick.
shush.
One horn out.
Two horns out.
Slow, slow, slow.
Shell rubs brick.
Snail stops.
Still shell.
Still foot.
shush.
A silver line
stays behind.
Thin line.
Wet line.
Snail slides on.
Grass bends low.
Rain sits
on leaves.
Drip.
Snail lifts
one soft horn.
Drip.
Snail lifts
two soft horns.
Then—
Dry twig breaks.
Horns pull in.
One.
Two.
Snail waits.
No feet move.
No shell moves.
Shhh.
Slow horn out.
Then one more.
shush.
Snail reaches
the dark gap.
Shell turns.
Small round door.
Quiet inside.
Soft body in.
Horns in.
Silver line outside.
Dark shell.
Shhh.