Daintiest Delicacies

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

The micro-mollusks have been hiding down

Beneath the Papua New Guinea waves.

In billions they are dressed in spiralled gown

And fairy frock, and sometimes swim in caves

With Nereids and mermaids dressed in red,

Or green, or orange with trailing’s threads

Of white like silk from where shell hearts have bled

Because they cannot love.  While lacking dreads

They float and zoom about avoiding chomps

As best they can.  Some grabbing micro crabs

Consume the innards of this prey.  Zing chomps

Suck out the guts and juice with micro stabs.

  Silk corselet or calcium-cinched waist

    Makes shapes but can’t protect from sapping tastes.

© Phillip Whidden