They only come out at night…

ticking a tune like flicking teeth
on a comb in the shadows
of the mangroves:
Technicolor crabs wielding
lethal-looking purple claws
at the ends of blood
orange legs; peering
with jack-o’-lantern eyes.
They are benign eco warriors,
leaf and seed collectors,
feeders of the forest, unseen
Costa Rican jewels of Halloween.

Kim M. Russell, 2018

My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads NaPoWriMo April 12 – Costa Rica Photos

Margaret tells us that Costa Rica is the home of her daughter’s friend, Eva, who started out as a pen pal through a High School English class assignment about seven years ago. Her daughter visited Eva’s family last year and when asked, she was thrilled to supply photographs of her country for this prompt, with permission for us to use them. Margaret says that the poems can be about Costa Rica but do not have to be, they are just a jumping off point.

I chose the image of a Halloween crab. I read that they live underground until April, when they re-emerge from their hide-outs at the first rainfall and thousands appear on beaches to spawn. I’d love to witness that in real life!

22 thoughts on “They only come out at night…”

  3. Yes, they do “tick a tune”. Just watched a documentary on various creature, this was one of them. Seeing them scurry about in a huge group is amazing – the are being attacked and killed by some sort of kiiler (red?) ant that has invaded the area.

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  5. Wow! those Halloween crabs are something else! Your words captured them perfectly. How colorful. I especially like how you started this poem….the sound of flicking teeth on a comb. These ‘musical notes’ make a difference in any poem.

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