Best Crustaceans Poems
waves gently caress
washing ashore sea treasures ~
beach scavenger hunt
a flock of seagulls
swoop and steal beach crustaceans ~
crab delicacy
a warm ocean breeze
wafts of beach roses and brine ~
sweet salty essence
dark ocean water
dance and reflect in moonlight ~
a calming cadence
the magical ocean beach ~
hidden beauty within reach
5/10/23
Contest: Haiku Sonnet Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Joanna Daniel
(Syllables checked with howmanysyllables)
I woke up to the soft
marigold melodies
of whistling waves,
reverberating in
turquoise tunes,
stirring the sleeping
sunrise within my soul,
while the hermit crabs,
soaked in salty sand,
creep along the ivory
shores at a slow pace,
too eager to find a
faulty ray from my
honeyed horizon.
Yet I refused to allow
the crawling crustaceans
to obscure the serene scenes
unfolding in shades
of teal zeal beneath
azure spheres,
for I am the
metaphorical mermaid,
weaving aquatic anthems,
awaiting the crystalline
calling from the warm
arms of an oceanic heart.
I remember walking
on colorful clouds,
tiptoeing my way to
the psychedelic gates
of seraphic realms,
oblivious to the
hibiscus haven thriving
in tropical fruitfulness.
Perhaps the flavors
of twilight cocktails
were blended with
trippy ingredients,
untying ribboned skies
to unveil a
kaleidoscopic staircase
to untouched bliss,
where no breathing
footprints can blemish
the pearlescent purity
of an exotic paradise.
There, in the rhyme-less
roots of palm trees,
you’ll find my inked dreams,
kissing the cinnamon sun,
unfurling herbs of
seasoned sanguinity,
a singing siesta
soothing ruffled crests
rippling with topaz tranquility
along celestial currents.
This is me turning perfumed
pages of my grounded reality;
a picturesque painting
sketched in the
amethyst arena of
my sixth chakra,
and I will forever remain
in this island of romanticism,
collecting conch shells,
writing poetry with
evergreen stems,
and floating weed,
a lyrical hideaway,
without scarred flowers
envious of the sapphires
I knit in ceremonial silence.
If tomorrow, there is
no sailing catamaran
to steer your lusterless shadows,
here upon porcelain dunes,
forgive my need to
strive in sweet seclusion,
I am no longer strayed
on ruthless routes that
lack emerald empathy
and camellia compassion.
What would I give for a book and a nook
I'd forfeit some cash from my pocketbook
Surrender my coat to a hanging wall hook
Then give it a look , as long as it took
I'd roll back the stone, crawl into a cave
Find Ol' Tom Sawyer, take some close shaves
Look for Boy Wonder, help free some slaves
Hunt for lost gold, discover old graves
Go room to room, look high and low
Ride on a broom, escape through a hole
Go with the wind, fly over rainbows
Ride chariots of fire where ever they go
Search lost horizons with great expectations
Go hunting for bison in Indian Nations
Swim with Poseidon and gather crustaceans
The suspense would heighten my imagination
A book and a nook, a perfect day
Rain or shine, take me away
To read every line on every page
Spend all my time, that's what I'd pay
an original poem by Daniel Turner
*Been posting some heavy stuff lately. Time for a bit of levity.
"Hey babe, you're never gonna believe this. Crab fishing in Alaska has been cancelled for 2023."
"I don't understand, dear."
"Well, according to the paper, all the crabs have 'left the building.' It's crabs no mo."
"But where did they go?"
"Ahh, that's the mystery, indeed. Some are blaming sockeye salmon, whatever the flip that is. But I have my own theories."
"Sigh. here we go..."
"Yeah, I figure the little buggers finally figured out that not getting out of the way of the sweeping net is really sucky. Or maybe they all went on strike and decided that ending up on dinner plates was a crappy way to go. Then again, it's possible that alien visitors sampled the tasty crustaceans and transported the lot of them to their home world. Of course, the prevailing conspiracy theory has it that a certain former president with a craving for crab monopolized the fishing industry in Alaska and hoarded them all in ginormous freezers at his Florida resort. All I know is, I'm gonna miss our seafood Sundays. Shrimp and lobster just ain't the same without a complementary pound or two of crab legs. I really believe the end of the world is here."
"Poor, poor baby. By the way, seafood Sunday is on this weekend. I was able to snatch up a few dozen pounds before they all did the Elvis thing."
"Seriously? Kewl. Crab Armageddon will have to wait. Hey, have you noticed the price of beef lately? There goes my Saturday steaks on the grill. I've got some theories on the present crisis..."
"Yes, dear."
I am known as a sky rat, or a beach thief,
most call me a seagull and a nuisance.
I love to fly across the ocean freely, soaring with
my wings spread while darting into the water.
I see a photographer, maybe I will be featured,
instead I go unnoticed as whales are surfacing.
My eyes are keen as I search for crustaceans.
Feeling bored I decide to move onto the beach.
I tease humans with my little show and dance,
always winning a few scraps for my troubles.
No one knows my struggles to exist with my flock,
we squabble, fight and bully for food until bloodshed.
Crabs are our delicacy, it’s like finding the jackpot.
I will win you over with my beauty and charisma,
until you leave me with your lunch as you swim.
It then becomes all mine, except for the wrappers.
Yes, my reputation precedes me again!
7/09/2020
Contest: Bird Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Constance La France
I could not paint a better picture,
Than the one in front of me,
Of twists and turns of the canal,
Bordered by endless trees.
A warm day with a slight breeze,
Giving the grass moving shadows of leaves,
Multiple species of birds stop by,
Some on the ground, some in the sky.
Gulls, Terns and Cormorants dive,
For crustaceans and fish of various size,
While sparrows, robins and occasional chickadees,
Grab insects on the fly.
Parades of boats, barges and ships,
Fascinate and entertain our time,
Sitting by the canal is more than a pastime,
It's watching life at its prime.
Fishermen, bicyclists, joggers and tourists,
They enjoy this special place,
Taking it all in; they embrace,
Nature at its purest!
Out of all the creatures that live in the sea
There is only one that stands out for me
Cute looking and grey and on it's back a fin
You have probably guessed, it is the dolphin.
I'll describe them in detail so in your mind you can see
I will do my best to create some imagery
They grow eight foot long; have a tail and a fin
And a flipper on each side that helps them to swim.
A pod or a school is what you would call their group
They can do backward flips and loop the loop
Their food source is found in all the world's oceans
There's squid, small fish, plankton and crustaceans.
With cute slit eyes and a skin of silky grey
You can swim with them, but you'll have to pay
There are many now living in captivity
Now surely thats wrong , they all should be free.
Half of their brain stays awake when they go to sleep
Thats to prevent them from drowning when they're in the deep
They use echolocation, scientists have found
And thats how they know how to find their way around.
Sometimes they seem to jump up vertically
Spy-hop thats called so their surroundings they see
They sometimes follow ships and swim alongside
They're conserving their energy, they call that bow-ride.
The favourite is the bottlenose but there are others as well
Some species of dolphins in big rivers do dwell
They are very intelligent and awesome to see
And very beautiful creatures, I'm sure you'll agree.
To see them swim in the ocean is a beautiful sight
So keep your eyes peeled and one day you might
The first time that I saw one, I was just a child
In a movie called 'Flipper' sadly not in the wild.
Their habitat is changing and that's a tragedy
Because man is so selfish and pollutes the sea
And with careless fishing some do not survive
So solutions must be found so that dolphins can thrive.
Written on 15th January 2018.
Revised 15th February 2020
Entered into the 'Dolphins' poetry contest hosted by
Julie Leigh Rodeheaver.
I am a foodie, I must confess, I swim a few laps for exercise
Along come the Mollusk, and to my pleasant surprise
I have no restraint and they look so yummy
I just open my jaws wide, and fill up my tummy
Holy Mackerel, they make quite the feast!
Unlike that deepwater whale; Moby Vic, that lumbering beast
A real blow show, they eat any freak’n thing
Whale diet: Squid, Krill, Larvae, what distaste they bring!
Ah, catching up to the guys, what are they circling ‘round?
Heya Tom, Bill, GW, Anil. Rob, l see you’ve gained a pound
“I’m on a sea-food diet, I see food, I eat it!” Hee hee hee
Yep, you may want to stick to your day job, try a sea-shanty!
Look over there boys, the Seahorses, I hear they work for LYFT
Harry, how’s business, break for some sushi? California Roll, a gift
You may wanna giddy up, plenty of shrimp crawling beneath you
I know how much the Seahorse love to munch crustaceans too
"Shrimp—cockroaches of the sea! Not a kosher food"
Okay GW, what do you eat, my friend, set the mood
Gefilte fish recipe; grind the salmon, red snapper, codfish,
Onions, carrots, add eggs, sugar, salt, white pepper, in a dish
Stir in ice water, add matzo meal and chop, boil, voila, gefilte fish!
To the right of us, why it’s Lady L, my, she is swell
Small crabs on her menu, anything in the sand that dwell
Blowfish is a species that feeds on poison, dangerous to eat
They can’t hunt, they call ‘em puffers, just one puff’s a real treat
Anil, do you believe in sea nymphs on a blue oceanic parade?
Yes, I vision the lovely face of Wendy on the frame of a mermaid
Nil, come on now, aren’t you married, mate
OK, Tom, I’m going home, I won’t be late, I won’t be late
To the right of us the Starfish, greet the ladies of the sea
How they brighten the day, on display, as charming as can be
Pangie, Valsa, Andrea, Paula, Len, Kim, Eve and Gina
I know how you love snails, I bring escargot straight from the Marina
And so, my friends, another lovely day. Join us for our usual Activities and Brunch
6/11/22
Third Place
A Merger With Food Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Natasha L Scragg
Pink hue flamingo it must be due to all
the carotenoid pigments feasted on
algae and crustaceans
An elongated neck spirals
and filters such sensations
Sharing color is Okinawa salmon sushi,
bolster lobster and shrimp scrimp
Graceful qualifiers primp poised tropical dwellers
balancing effortlessly on one outstretched leg,
A ballerina’s pirouette in fuchsia tutus’
Statuesque stillness in shallow water
Rosette feathers flair flamboyance
Passionate plumage, blushing boas
Webbed feet tap and stamp below,
an aquatic burlesque show
The flamenco dance named after you
Rose-tinted creature tranquil, wader
Hook-billed blackened lamellae
sieved nobly, an intense look in a print
Cluster buster of pink with lengthy legs that sprint
Makes love Bathynomus giganteus
Isopod love not a casual lust
Romance private ocean deeps
Where little light ever creeps
Lovemaking crustaceans is no fuss
I watch them on the beach -
shorebirds they are called
running here and there.
Residents of land more than the air,
they'd rather poke their beaks into the sand
probing for morsels of tasty crustaceans.
Pecking, always pecking,
scrambling to and fro,
they're focused, ever focused
on the job at hand.
Not especially strong, graceful, colorful, or pretty,
they are, however, speedy.
They scuttle easily through low tides,
rushing for the shore on skinny legs
when waves come crashing.
These industrious little creatures
seem unconcerned with the loftiness of clouds.
Yet at times, they will gather as one body in the sky,
performing an amazing aerial show.
Run, sandpiper, run. Soon your eggs will hatch.
In your being grounded
you reap rewards.
Written by Andrea Dietrich on 9/17/13
for nette onclaud's BUILD YOUR OWN SAND!Poetry Contest
Tails and claws in reefs, with opiates for pain,
Bad sight, ten legs and dollar profits to be made.
Prior to their own demise, they dined on fish and mollusks,
To savor and munch away with epicurean palettes.
Galleys rattle while lobsters kneel and pray,
“Boil!” and “Cut!” Chef Lemon-Snow conveys.
Tears bubbling away in ancient pots,
Chef Lemon-Snow the hunger his backdrop.
Blue-bloods in pails toiling to resist the boil,
Steaming, to find their destiny with olive oil.
Simmering delicious fare, extravagance to savor,
Lobsters expire while Lemon-Snow only seeks the flavor.
Proud crustaceans once gray now boiling red,
Scented mist of mild aroma, ravenous we fed.
Cascading dreams
Over seas and oceans
Rampaging screams
Running over crustaceans
Surging waves unremitting
Hot winds escalating
Blue and clear waters converge
Stirred and bubbled with rage
Under the blue dingy skies
Teardrop of the weak cries
Raindrop falling with surprise
Drizzled hundreds of miles
Thunder and lightning aloft waters
Rumbled and sauntered like crawlers
Sunrise commenced the day with a smile
Sunset ended with a wile
A new sunrise seen in the horizon
A new hope emblazon
Another day to scoop and flourish
A new line of growth to nourish
A fuchsia sunset,
a vacant room in the inn
with a vista near the sea,
inhaling your sweet scent
that lingered and excited
as we hugged each other on the porch.
The calm sea flowed into the bay,
the fishermen coming in with their catch,
the red mullet, elegant to see,
tasteful to eat as the bar-b-q flared,
the fish sprinkled in herbed oil,
garnished with garlic,
and an aromatic salsa verde,
plus salad and its vinaigrette.
I remember your fragile face,
your tender mouth munching,
spitting the tiny small bones
the red mullet is renowned for.
Your satisfaction of the freshness of the catch,
your pleasure for the craggy crustaceans,
laid out like precious jewels
on a dewy bed of snow-white ice.
Alas I remember,
for it was our last luscious meal together.
Next day you went to war never to return.
29 April 2021
All creatures great and small,
from the smallest microbe to the largest animal of all.
Our living planet provides life for a mass variety of species.
Marine life is full of massive numbers of species of great diversity.
Bacteria, crustaceans, fishes, mammals, amphibians and also jellies.
Land dwelling life also has many life specie variations
Bacteria, Insects, reptiles, birds, worms
and among the mammals are us humans,
and the last variety of other life species that are also important to mention
exist beneath our deepest oceans and seas
as well as far as on land one can see.
The millions of different species of vegetation.
We may think ourselves the specie most superior
but no life is worth more or less than any other.
All creatures great and small
have an unalienable right
to their one and only life
however great or small.