Drawing up crabs out
Of vast black swimming
Depths – I killed limpets
With a borrowed knife
I stuck the hook through
And my conscience
Twitched with the piercing –
Unknown primal guts
Dripped onto fingers
I dropped the line quick
And after minutes
Of my stunned-keen gaze
I brought them up – they
Faded from the rift,
Scrabbled bright plastic
Murk green crabs, my brothers
The adults taught me
How quick to catch them
I deep-stared at them
With them, swam the pool
A fear taken hold.
I threw them back in.
