Gathered Mussels On Rocks Poem by Terence George Craddock

Gathered over seventy
green lip mussels
from the beach yesterday
yum yum time tonight

still gotta boil shells
open later this afternoon
pry mussels from shells
then bon appétit time

must be 130 mussels in total
got wet almost up to thighs
leaving mussel laden rocks
tide turn was quick coming in

jumping over wet rocks
returning to childhood skills
caught a paddle crab also
in wave tide surge tidal pools

paddle crab has paddles
for swimming I swept it
into my bucket so eat it
tonight sweet crab meat

but oh the taste of mussels
fresh cooked from the sea
steamed open salt milk juice
eaten raw fresh from hot shells