Strong claws
Hard shell
Tiny arms feed my
Sharp mouth
As I devour tender tidbits
An itch on my back
Then my leg
Then everywhere
A rising fire
Ocean-bottom pressure builds
Within me
A crack
Breaks me open
A small relief
Jerking and twisting
From my petrified suit
Like escaping a glue trap
Pulling and pulling and pulling
Then suddenly free
My armor shell
A moth-eaten cocoon
Drifts in the current
Rubbery skin makes me
Vulnerable as a jellyfish
I hide under rocks
Where I used to hunt
For things like me.