Barnacle
The barnacle is not what you may think
No mollusc this, no limpet dull and drab
It's lack of adult movement hides the link
To cousins like the lobster and the crab.
Hermaphrodite, a male and female phase
Alternate, and thus its offspring make
It's lifecycle is one which should amaze
What follows are the forms that it will take.
Nauplius. Expelled and floating free
Small and mobile, soft shell on its back
It swims with other plankton in the sea
Bottom of the food chain: just a snack.
Cyprid. In this stage it does not feed
It only searches with a sole intent
To find the roost and friends that it will need
Where it can stick itself down with cement.
So here we are: the adult that we know
Settled down and to its choice home bound
Mature it still has those wild oats to sow
Priapically, it still can get around.
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a
Premium Membership.
