Ghost crab cartwheels

This one comes from that same 1999-2000 notebook I mentioned the other day. Unlike that haiku, I remember this image well from an autumn trip to the Outer Banks.

I'm going to try 2 versions -- the first is a little long but is the rare example that I don't really want to cut down; the second is the same image hacked down into a more orthodox haiku size...



claw over claw
a ghost crab
cartwheels past
the unsurprised sanderling
facing into
the north wind


* * * * *


nor'easter --
ghost crab cartwheels past
the hunched sanderling



Hmm -- on second thought maybe I do prefer the chopped-down version!