This carnivorous gastropod’s
rasping tongue cleans the shell
of its bivalve cousin
before it retracts its
fleshy tentacles
and hides in the mud
to digest that mollusk’s clammy flesh.
It seldom wonders why it behaves
this way, it just does.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for this week’s Magpie Tales. Thanks for the photo, Tess. For inspiration, I researched the shell here, and also clicked on the crown shell photo there for more information.
Adventures in Poetry and Writing
brenda warren
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All students need a safe and caring school environment
Just another WordPress.com site
poetry by nicolas ryan brown.
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The weather and the light are just different out here...and sometimes you have to find the words for things.
My poetry is my religion.
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Observations from the loose nut behind the wheel.
spiritual enlightenment and self improvement
undercaws 
mollusk’s clammy flesh—–ouch! I missed that the first time through, and I do love a good pun.
The choice of “seldom” tickles me, too.
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One of the greatest pleasures for writer me is delivering with language, and that moment where everything jives and gems pop through. That bit did. You know, it shows up all over briarcat. Thanks for coming back to reread and comment. You made me revisit the piece.
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One can’t think too much about the mysteries of nature. The violence within is sometimes hard to digest.
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Oh Mary, your comment really brought a chuckle. Humor looks good on you. 🙂
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Nature red in tooth and tentacle, isn’t it. I guess the gastropod is just earning a living
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Magic, each one of those words (though I had to do a bit of research as well.)
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Thank you, Helen!
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Brutal, but beautifully-worded meal of a sea creature! Such scientific sounding start, ending with the emotion of “just ‘cuz”. Missed reading your stuff lady! Hope the summer brings the poet out in all of us…
– Dina
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It’s nice to see you here, Dina! Thank you for stopping by to read and leave some thoughts behind. I’m really liking WordPress.
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Ah, the basic wonder! Robust images…
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Very visual…I saw the whole meal taking place! Good to know these facts, too…
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nature is full of wonders.
well composed magpie.
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How absolutely brilliant, how very refreshing.
A bit of fact well put, after reams of middling poems on the prompt.
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Wow, thank you for the compliment. Truth is stranger than fiction, and it pulls us in, too.
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Ah the cycle of life. What a lovely shell it left behind.
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Eek – too much information? LOL
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I know, right?
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I love this. My favorite is that last line!
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Thanks Tess, I started to read yours, then quit so it wouldn’t influence me…I’m going to read it now. I like the last line, too. It makes me chuckle.
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This is wonderful beautiful language
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Thank you, and welcome to undercaws!
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well done- I could feel those words on my skin.
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Thank you Kathe, I’m glad they got to you. 🙂
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I loved the language in this, espd “carnivorous gastropod’s/rasping tongue” its fantastically visceral!
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Thank you…it all came from a bit of reading. 🙂
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