by Eric Ode

How odd to think the octopus
has not a bone inside her.
The smallest space in any place
is just enough to hide her.
A corner in a sunken ship,
a coffee can,
a shell.
She tucks her boneless body in
and every arm as well.
A very tricky thing to do
if you have one
or maybe two.
But what an awkward sort of state,
the octopus has eight!

Copyright © 2012 Eric Ode. From the book Sea Star Wishes: Poems from the Coast. Sasquatch Books. Reprinted by permission of the author.

About the Author

Photo by Kim Ode

Eric Ode is a children’s author, an award-winning songwriter, and a widely anthologized poet. Ode provides high-energy workshops and assemblies for schools throughout the United States and internationally. He lives in Washington state with his wife and two children.

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