I floated in on last night’s tide
my small body tossed and twisted
until I ceased to exist in physical form
I cannot remember the details
I think this is a blessing
My remains lie on virgin sand at the edge of the marsh
Already my shell is bleaching in the August sun
Oh, now it’s been touched, picked up by a human hand
My jointed claws fall off, my physical body cracks,
caves in; it is very small, fragile
Now it is discarded, tossed back onto the beach
Take a lesson from me, at some point, your shell too
will be tossed by the tide, bleached by the sun
and like mine, wind up alone and broken
on an unmarked shore
