Arrow Rock Literary Journal

Water hit the shore harshly

A crab was stuck and got swept back into the sea

It clawed and fought but it was too weak

The sea is not forgiving, but please forgive me

I watched the crab suffer

I could have grabbed its rigid shell

I could have saved it from its hell

Instead, I watched the water impound it harder

Faster, heavier, one more forceful sweep away

If crabs could cry the world would hear its screams

I waited to examine the fate I see often in my dreams

I did not feel sorry for the crab I betrayed

When the waves retrieved, I looked for its corpse

The sea is murderer, the crab is a victim

The crab was lured, and the sea had tricked him

It was a reminder life could be taken by force

But am I as bad as the sea

For watching a life be taken in front of me

I don’t know why I didn’t intervene I hate that I liked to watch the crab plea

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Lexi Wallis is the author of this piece.