I know where they secretly hide-
these proud two-legged crawlers
(I've been their bane for forty years
fishermen call me 'King of the marine prowlers')
their claws might be sharp
like the brightest knife
the trick is to hold them
by their shells--- no strife
for my nimble, steady and well-trained hands
last week one thousand I caught--no surprise
every restaurant in town courted my favour
last year I won 'The Village Best Crab-man Prize'
six hundred books on this shining creature
I have read. I have written a book 'Understanding the Crab'
word got round and there are a thousand crab-people by the sea now
but they return home by sunset and all that they say is 'The day is crap!'
Nov 25, 2017
Nov 25, 2017 at 5:33 PM UTC
I know where they secretly hide-
these proud two-legged crawlers
(I've been their bane for forty years
fishermen call me 'King of the marine prowlers')
their claws might be sharp
like the brightest knife
the trick is to hold them
by their shells--- no strife
for my nimble, steady and well-trained hands
last week one thousand I caught--no surprise
every restaurant in town courted my favour
last year I won 'The Village Best Crab-man Prize'
six hundred books on this shining creature
I have read. I have written a book 'Understanding the Crab'
word got round and there are a thousand crab-people by the sea now
but they return home by sunset and all that they say is 'The day is crap!'
* dedicated to Crandall Branch, poet and crab-man