A happy band of conchologists met up the other night
another couldn't make it although he tried with all his might.

Still the rest of us made up for him and got him several treats
we drooled in awe at all the shells laid out for us in heaps.

A 6 foot table full of cones made my eyes light up with glee
financial concerns went to the wall as we had a spending spree.

Paul plumped for lots of olives, and several harps as well
whilst Barbara chose from all the tables as far as I could tell.

Not only were there tables full, but drawers of every kind
we rummaged through for several hours to see what we could find.

There were shells of every shape and size, some common and some rare others we'd never known before and some we touched with care.

There were normal shells, sinistral shells and weird distorted freaks
the wonders that we saw that night will stay with us for weeks.

A Murex like a dragonfly its spines displayed with pride
and a totally transparent scallop with its ribs on the inside.

Conus ranonganus, pergrandis and vicweei
and forms of kinoshitai that were enough to make you cry

bairstowi and thomae it was enough to turn your head
and lovely yellow pertusus that had forgot to turn to red.

I couldn't resist the cervus although it was only small
my plans to choose a shell or two went totally up the wall.

Well that's enough about the cones - let's turn to other things
like several lovely Murex with big extended wings.

You couldn't have seen every shell no matter what you did
there were lots of Cypraea guttata at less than fifty quid

Cypraea arabica niger as black as black can be
armeniaca and guttata surinensis laid out for us to see.

Melanistic stolida and orange lamarckii
A giant testudinaria was a gem to greet your eye.

A lot of weird shaped tigris, including some that had no teeth
some had odd lumps on the top or even underneath.

One disappointment occurred though, as the evening did unfold
Barbara wanted Bursa borisbeckeri but the only one was sold.

If you collected Ovulidae there were riches beyond compare
a tiny Rotaovula hirohitoi a beauty, but so rare.

By the time I reached the last table my wallet had run dry
but if I'd had the money there was plenty left to buy.

Perotrochus vicdani and others of its ilk
rare Cirsotrema edgari its ribs as white as milk.

Lots of other Epitoniidae and Volutidae as well
Harpidae and Terebridae too numerous to tell.

We had a lovely evening and we've Simon and June to thank
but before we all go back again we had better rob a bank.