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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.
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