Critterature: The Peculiar Plight of the Poor Pitiable Octopus

To the ancient Norse he was Kraken
With a mean inclination,
And the Greeks called him Gorgon
With the same reputation.
But as monster of myths
He's been wrongly miscast,
So I'm here to shed new light
On this poor creature, at last.

An exemplary example
Of his cephalopod race,
With a blob of a body,
The merest trace of a face.
He has eight arms, or legs,
But no fingers or toes,
No waistline or shoulders,
No eyebrows or nose.

He can fly through the water
With the greatest of ease,
And accomplishes it sans
Catapult or trapeze.
When danger confronts him,
He's off in a blink,
And disappears in a cloud
Of stinky black ink.

Octobabies leave home
When the mother gives birth
To be part of the food chain,
Which is no cause for mirth.
Octodads show affection
With indifferent tugs,
But at mealtime they can be
Overly generous with hugs.

The octopus likes his comfort
And prefers to make his home
In more exotically aquatic locales.
It's not unheard of for some,
Who want to see more of the world,
To drift away from their natural venue,
Only sadly to get caught in a fisherman's net
And end up on a sushi bar menu.

At Christmas he's resigned
To passing out gifts,
Though as helper elf his head's too big
To put a hat upon.
And like the squid and the manta,
He can never play Santa
'cause he has no lap
To be sat upon.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2024

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Delaney Avatar
May 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Hi Jim: I have missed reading your critterature poems. So much fun. SuZ
Slaughter Avatar
May 31, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Thank you, Suzanne. I really enjoy writing these pieces.
Bauer Avatar
October 14, 2024 at 1:16 PM
i very much enjoyed this, jim! well done!
Slaughter Avatar
October 15, 2024 at 1:52 PM
Ilene, thank you...X 8...
Crandall Avatar
October 14, 2024 at 12:36 PM
Great, Jim. This gives me a new appreciation of our octopi friends.
Slaughter Avatar
October 15, 2024 at 1:52 PM
Thanks, David. I'm sure they'll appreciate that.
One Avatar
October 14, 2024 at 12:09 PM
You have a wonderful imagination my friend..
Slaughter Avatar
October 15, 2024 at 1:51 PM
Much appreciated, S O.
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