The Zodiacal Sign Crab-Cancer-Crayfish or Babylonian Turtle







Moon-ruled

June 22-July 23



The Crab, - Homebody celestial-

The Quality (in charge) is Cardinal

Crab-shellfish are of Water’s Element

With dreamy and romantic temperament.



As children of the silvery planet Moon

When love-sick frogs in tribute croak and croon

Intensity and deep emotions swell

And they retreat at once into their shell



Protective of the rib-cage and the heart

Crabs  shut the shell to ward off hurt and smart

And shield emotions’ tender fragile seat

And make in prudence for a quick retreat.  



Their outside cover,  is an armor,- yet

Protect small toddlers and they will not let

Come harm and hurt to them, but tenderly

Shield them from mishaps and  adversity.







A Crab that put her mark on history

The beauteous and gracious Princess Dee.

The People’s Princess to us all so dear

Who shines now bright in a celestial sphere.



Intuitive, - like colors multi-pearled,

Live more in dreams than in the real world,

Have for nice social gathering a fling,

Yet still prefer the home and nurturing



Are sweetly clinging, hating to let go,-

Compassionate are crabs to overflow.

Besides their star stone, Pearl, they love jade,

And crabs die nearly when by friends betrayed.



Lo! Julius Caesar, Emperor  commander,

Was too a crab,  as was  Great Alexander,

To whom the crabs lent speed  upon his trek,

and brought down fortresses like bric-a-brac.







Now Alexander’s spirit roams the brink

Of cave tops with the turtles restlessly,

Take flight~! take flight! before Osama's stink,-

The Great one now his resting place must flee.



The saddened eyes of the great conqueror,

Bespeak the bottom of sheer misery,

His resting place, that he had heretofore,

He lost it- lost it, Oh indignity!.







His spirit roams alike a homeless man,

Around the wastelands of Afghanistan,

And his brave fighting turtles also ran,

Flee in despair,- direction Kurdistan.







But Gaius Julius Caesar, the Divine,

Sent first the turtles to the river Rhine,

And later bade them swim in strong array,

To fight the war against his foe Pompey.



And Rembrandt. mixing oils,  oft made a mess

When overcome by moody crabbiness,

His butler and some colleagues in the lab

Had keen awareness, Rembrandt was a crab.



Crabs’ Energy is feminine - the YIN

Their Flower, - Water lily or Jasmine

The pearl both the Gem and pedigree

Their Color: lunar g ray and silvery.



Intuitive are Crabs - compassionate,

But moody they can be and obfuscate

And in affection’s thrill may nearly swoon

Their legendary source of moods, - the Moon



Called “Turtles” once, in ancient Babylon

They ran the yearly “Turtle Marathon”

And after running round the city’s towers

Were feasted in king Hammurabi’s bowers.







The king picked out the   turtle-crab Elite-

And checked capacities for skill and speed,

This Marathon was feasted every year

And its performance filled the town with cheer.



The turtles ran their Marathon until

King Hammurabi reached out for his quill,

And wrote the famous Hammurabi Code

That he in honor of the turtles wrote.







But this was long ago, crabs run no more

They have no Marathon  on our shore,-

I do believe this state of things is sad-

But then the competition here is great



I tell the gentle crabs I wish them well,-

I’m a friend, and they can drop their shell

Then  I continue on the beach my way

And say good-bye!, I have no more to say!.





Best Wishes to all Cancerians!





© Elizabeth Dandy






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