Crabbing
The technique for the life skill my father taught me,
like shaving correctly or changing a tire quickly,
ran through my mind.
‘Don’t go too close to the rocks’
I stood close
‘Find a nice alcove and dangle it in the middle’
lowered the weight
‘Try not to get the line tangled whilst it’s down there’
with a stretched out arm
‘Leave it for 5 minutes and pull it up’
and waited.
White horses galloped
above the one-way mirror and sliced
through my line as they
crashed into the rocks
below.
5 minutes became 6
to be safe,
and I winched
up the line
with an anticipated catch.
Muffled by the Welsh sea breeze,
my father added a new step to his
technique and pointed toward
a different spot.
‘Try again.’
Anthony Keers lives in the city of Manchester, England. Currently working as a Warehouse Operator, he has a passion for environmental sustainability and exploring new ways in which humanity can promote an environmentally healthier lifestyle. Anthony writes poetry and short stories in his spare time.