by Eric Ode

The hermit crab,
the hermit crab.
He never takes
a taxi cab;
or sails a ship
or submarine;
or rides a motorbike machine.

He never skips
across the sands
but skitters on
his pointy hands.
And with his home
upon his back,
he never worries
what to pack
or what to drive
or what to wear
to get from here
to over . . . there.

Copyright © 2012 Eric Ode. From the book Sea Star Wishes: Poems from the Coast. Sasquatch Books. Reprinted by permission of the author.

About the Author

Photo by Kim Ode

Eric Ode is a children’s author, an award-winning songwriter, and a widely anthologized poet. Ode provides high-energy workshops and assemblies for schools throughout the United States and internationally. He lives in Washington state with his wife and two children.

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