David Crandall Poet Ottava rima

Notes About The Poem

For 1403 Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand

 

The Calico Box Crab

Once, an aged fisherman was heard to speak
from a boat on the shore of Chesapeake Bay.
His voice, like every bone and plank that did creak,
(as the ocean waves came in to splash and spray)
about a creature, singular and unique,
"'twas eighty-seven years ago to the day. 
When I was just up to a grasshopper's knee 
I saw the calico box crab by the sea. 

As I stood near the sand on a slick sea slab, 
in an earthly appearance of God's good grace,
it was then that I saw it - I saw the crab, 
sporting a spotted, colorful carapace,
a crustacean, that never was dull nor drab.
I would always remember the special place
where I first found the joy I couldn't foresee,
meeting the calico box crab by the sea.

I tried gently to touch her, with my right hand, 
but I scared the calico box crab away,
as she disappeared swiftly in the soft sand.
I come back to this place each year on this day, 
but I won't come again.  My time is at hand, 
and I'm going to Heaven, but I can say,
'I never touched her, but I once got to see
the pretty calico box crab by the sea.'"

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sara Etgen-Baker August 9, 2025 at 5:08 PM I agree with Rowena--a sort of mystical, nostalgic ballad...an engaging read. Nicely done, Sara

Rowena Velasco August 8, 2025 at 11:10 PM This reads like a gentle seaside ballad — warm, rhythmic, and nostalgic. The rhymes flow smoothly, and the repetition of “calico box crab by the sea” feels like a refrain anchoring the memory. It’s tender, a little wistful, and paints the fisherman’s life and final reflection with real charm.