Pry them open,
Grasp their lips,
Pads of fingers
tight, reddening.
Biting. Teeth slipping,
scraping, ******
cut on a lip.
Botched.
Clams are shut
tight. Otters break
them against stones.
Rocks as tools.
Non-forbearing,
animals–
Steam them softly.
Slowly rise the temperature. Never
hurry. Slight
opening.
Gradual.
May 20
May 20, 2026 at 3:40 AM UTC
Pry them open,
Grasp their lips,
Pads of fingers
tight, reddening.
Biting. Teeth slipping,
scraping, ******
cut on a lip.
Botched.
Clams are shut
tight. Otters break
them against stones.
Rocks as tools.
Non-forbearing,
animals–
Steam them softly.
Slowly rise the temperature. Never
hurry. Slight
opening.
Gradual.
© Joan Reed. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0