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Beach Magician

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photo-319

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beach Magician

With nothing
up his sleeve
but a brainless foot,
this mundane clam
does the ultimate trick:
tipping his jelly bean shell on end,
he disappears
into the sand.

 

We saw these little clams, called coquina, on the beach in Marco Island, Florida over the holiday. Their disappearing trick looked both magical and ridiculous. See?

For more Poetry Friday, visit Irene Latham at Live Your Poem!

20 replies
    • Liz Steinglass
      Liz Steinglass says:

      I still don’t quite get how they do it with one foot. I’m sure I couldn’t do it and I have a brain and two feet.

      Reply
    • Liz Steinglass
      Liz Steinglass says:

      Thanks, Anna. My first draft simply said “nothing up his sleeve,” then it occurred to me that wasn’t quite true.

      Reply
  1. bookseedstudio
    bookseedstudio says:

    “Beach Magician” puts me in mind of Valerie Worth – potent comment on a small wonder of the world & said in a new way. The video is priceless, too. I know that beach & am glad you found it, Liz, because it prompted your word magic.

    Reply
  2. Bridget Magee
    Bridget Magee says:

    Fascinating creatures, Liz! Thank you for introducing them to me first in your poem and then with the video. I hope to see the coquina clam perform his magic trick in person one day. =)

    Reply
  3. Irene Latham
    Irene Latham says:

    My grandparents lived on Florida’s Panhandle, and one of my favorite things to do at the beach was to collect empty coquina shells! I especially love the ones that are still hinged and have a collage piece of art I created in which the coquina shells are butterflies. Your poem brings that all back! Thank you. xo

    Reply
  4. djtsmith
    djtsmith says:

    My connection is too slow to see the vid today, but I’ll try again later.
    We don’t get those up north here on the beaches of Maine…all we usually see are the little round holes in the sand as evidence that a big gray clam is down there. No jellybeans for us! (I had to go look them up)
    A very short and sweet poem! Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply

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