Movie Monsters

Adorned with shells Beautiful enough to be on a necklace. Faces and bodies Ugly enough to be "Movie monsters." Shells that dot the lawn with Tan, pink, browns, black and stripes Desperately try to protect the delicate "Movie monsters" within from Mother and human nature. I carry them off to a Temporary safety Whenever I can. Stuck to my garage door Window as if to peak in. Watching us instead of The other way around. On my garage door As if to be waiting For the moment that It is opened to jump in. Hugging my house And shyly sharing the world With the rest of us. Out after a summer rain Dining on lawn salad. Farmed for tasty appetizers on Somebody's dinner plate. Plucked from shells by hungry birds. Smashed by a shoe, lawn mower, car tire, garage door... It's never a good ending For the snails. Empty unbroken shells are Cherished in my collection.