• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Beauty

‘Turtles All the Way Down’ By James Ph. Kotsybar

July 31, 2013
in Beauty, Poetry
A A
0
poems 'Turtles All the Way Down' By James Ph. Kotsybar

They operate contrary to the rules
of common sense that we hold dear as proof
that what we know is right, that we’re no fools
and senses we possess perceive the truth.

They ramble through eleven dimensions.
Their motions, seemingly governed by chance,
confuse and amend our comprehensions –
on heads of pins, probabilities dance.

The turtles supporting the world we ride
have gotten quantumly stranger today —
so small their extra dimensions can hide
beneath the larger turtles in the way.

Atop this turtle-tower, we still sit,
and, teetering, try to make sense of it.

 

James Ph. Kotsybar owns Chaotic Exotics orchid nursery.  Publication credits include Poetic Justice, Prophetic Voices, 2AM Magazine, EarthWords, Orchids (first poem in this magazine of the American Orchid Society since its 1932 inception), The Bubble and Askew. He has performed at Llhasa Club (Hollywood), Beyond Baroque Gallery (Santa Monica), The Los Angeles Performing Arts Center, R.A.I.L.  –  Readers And Interested Listeners (Santa Barbara County) Santa Barbara Poetry Festival, Ventura Artists’ Union Gallery, KCSB 91.9 FM (regular guest), Santa Barbara Channels 17 & 21 (“Green Screen” poetry videos ) TAP TV ( “We The People”), KDB-93.7 FM (for National Poetry Month).

Featured Image: Molecular cloud. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/L. Allen (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

How to Write Haiku: What Makes a Good Haiku?
Educational

How to Write Haiku: What Makes a Good Haiku?

June 29, 2022

. How to Write Haiku What Makes a Good Haiku? by Margaret Coats The required 5-7-5 syllable form alone does...

‘Grave New Globe’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant
Covid-19

‘Grave New Globe’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant

December 15, 2025

  Grave New Globe   I. Lair ---a pantoum You said that owning nothing was a blessing. You whipped our...

Next Post
Haiku by Ibe Ware Desu, LC

Haiku by Ibe Ware Desu, LC

‘Avocado Grove’ and Other Poetry by Anonymous

'Avocado Grove' and Other Poetry by Anonymous

Children’s Poetry by Leland James

Children's Poetry by Leland James

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘The Council of Infinite Opinions’: A Poem by David LeeJune 30, 2026

    And I am reminded of all the left-liberal dweebs who are refusing to admit that Europe is being invaded and…

  2. Russel Winick on ‘Not Small At All’ and Other Short Poems by Russel WinickJune 30, 2026

    Thanks for a great comment, Paul. If you write that short story, I’d surely want to read it. And SCP…

  3. Paul Freeman on ‘The Roommate’: A Poem by Jeffrey EssmannJune 30, 2026

    I get a feeling of a roommate who is unable to take control of her life, hence the horoscope. As…

  4. Paul Freeman on ‘Not Small At All’ and Other Short Poems by Russel WinickJune 30, 2026

    It's true we only seem to notice when things go wrong and should appreciate more when everything goes tickety-boo. I…

  5. Paul Freeman on ‘Archaic Torso of Apollo’ by Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated by Mary Jane MyersJune 30, 2026

    I'm jealous of his six-pack, MJ. That aside, what a wonderful poem. Thanks for the read.

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,592 other subscribers

Recent Poems

  • ‘Archaic Torso of Apollo’ by Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated by Mary Jane Myers
  • ‘The Council of Infinite Opinions’: A Poem by David Lee
  • Odyssey Audiobook Serialization Begins: First Fully Dramatized Version
  • ‘Not Small At All’ and Other Short Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘The Roommate’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘Pouting Polly’: A Poem by Robert Nachtegall
  • Two Satirical Sonnets by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘Then and Now’: A Sonnet by James Sale
  • ‘The Ministry of Twee’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘Breath of Night’: A Poem by Paulette Calasibetta
  • A Song Inspired by Edward Rowland Sill’s ‘Among the Redwoods’, by Gunny Markefka
  • ‘Kaddish for My Father’: A Poem by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Canceled’ and Other Limericks by Joseph Mason
  • ‘The Diamond’: A Marriage Proposal Poem by Adam Sedia
  • ‘The Dancer’ and Other Rondeaux by David Murphy
  • ‘Chastity’: A Sonnet Sequence by Justin Dasher
  • Horace Odes I.11 and III.30, Translated by Mary Jane Myers
  • ‘The Bird with the Ugly Voice’: A Poem by Scharlie Meeuws
  • ‘The Dryads’: A Poem by Patricia Rogers Crozier
  • ‘Stories of Saint Anthony’: Poems by Margaret Coats
  • ‘An Englishman to World Cups Past’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Faux Pas’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Trip to Italy: A Poetry Travel Journal’ by James A. Tweedie
  • ‘Spring Song’: A Poem by Rohini Sunderam
  • ‘The Eagle’: A Poem by Bruce Dale Wise
  • ‘Good Night’ and Other Poetry by Kevin Ahern
  • ‘Mothiavelli’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant
  • ‘Poetic Justices: The Poetry of United States Supreme Court Justices’: An Essay by Adam Sedia
  • ‘Blur’ and Other Poems by Anna J. Arredondo
  • ‘The Cottage on the Ridge’ and Other Poetry by Martin Rizley

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.