My Unusual Pet Crab Called Claws-Anna

She accomplishes all the normal things -

walking sidewards, scurrying, grasping

and to make her feel at home

a homemade rockpool in the kitchen.

The seawater savannah; deep, dark, jagged rocks,

green seaweed with air bladders

like spit floating: big suds

in the kitchen sink washing China dishes.

Shellfish; scallops, thorny oysters, periwinkles

constantly on the lookout and baffled

by my odd, strange, uncommon pet

Claws-Anna fearsome in the rockpool.

Her large broad pinchers pulling, tearing

teeth of a lion eating much-loved sardines:

her mane a red shell-like porcelain

wouldn’t look out of place in my China cabinet.