September 22, 2023

The Seagull and the Clam

A seagull sees a clam on the beach

It swoops down to pick it up

The shell is tightly shut

The seagull flies high up

It keeps going higher until it sees fit

For the drop

The clam falls through the air

Picking up speed as it propels to the ground

Among impact, the shell breaks

Pieces of shell go flying on all sides

The clam is now exposed

Waiting for the inevitable

The seagull, in one swift motion, 

Snatches the clam from its broken shell

Swallows it

And cleans out any remains in the shell pieces

Then flies away to find the next one

The clamshell is left there

Broken, shattered, exposed

Emptied out

There is no longer life in the shell

The shell isn’t viable as a home anymore

It was keeping the clam safe

Completely protected

Until the seagull

Is it the seagull’s fault?

It was raised this way

It was taught to break the shell

And take the clam

Is it the clam’s fault?

It was just sitting there

It should’ve had more protection

It should have hidden under some seaweed

It should have covered itself in algae

It shouldn’t have been alone

It should have known better

With just sitting there the clam was practically asking for it

It should have been smarter

Because the clam didn’t do enough

Now the seagull will keep breaking shells and taking clams

Maybe other clams will learn from this

Learn to stay away from seagulls

Learn to not let their home invaded and their bodies stolen

Learn that what happened to them was never their fault.