Wednesday 10 March 2010

Lessons from a Hermit Crab

The hermit crab
lacks pride

it hides
in abandoned shells

cast offs it then
leaves for others

We could learn from the hermit crab
you and I.

13 comments:

nĂ  from the treehouse said...

I like this lots, it's true, they're very humble and altruistic in a way, I never really gave it thought before!
I guess not many animals are as materialistic as the human animal.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I love hermit crabs. I used to find them all over the beaches of Cape Cod when I was a kid.

Jinksy said...

A waste not want not philosophy...

Caroline Gill said...

A great poem idea, CGP. A brilliant recycling metaphor.

madhat said...

lovely poem. I can relate to it.

Titus said...

I agree with Coastcard, and love the poem's simplicity and resonance.

Husband got nipped by one once in a Sealife centre when the big kids were little kids; they still fall about laughing when we "reminisce".

Obsidian Eagle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Obsidian Eagle said...

Quite quaint this one. Being a Cancerian, I too am something of a Crab "aficionado" (although I do know how wrong that sounds).

I always thought of Hermit Crabs as utilitarians, but the way you put it here makes a lot of sense too.

Thank you for sharing. Someday I will share my own Crab poem with you as well!

BlueJayEye said...

enjoyed this nugget...:)

Oh said...

this makes me like hermit crabs. You did the poet's job - changed my thinking/perspective.

very cool.

CiCi said...

I think I learned from the hermit crab for sure. I have moved around so many times in my life I really can't keep score anymore. At least 100 times.

hebdenjoy said...

Very nice piece.

Anonymous said...

Excellent piece. I've enjoyed reading through your blog