.
Octopus pulls in treasures
from the ocean floor
shells, carapaces, coral
all to adorn her
patchwork façade
her undersea blanket fort
built from the inside out
designed to confound
the hunter and befuddle
the love rival
she hunkers down
like 27 Roman legionaries
in testudo formation
shields locked to
protect soft parts
sliding the last plate in place
she spies through a tiny gap
pinpointing her moment
to escape
.
By Carys Owen
Inspired by the poetry prompt ‘animal architecture’
and this amazing creature
.
Carys Owen Poetry 
Now that’s a treat, Carys – an octopus! I love that she is female and the way you describe her gorgeous home, constructed from ‘treasures from the ocean floor. I didn’t know they built their homes from the inside out. I especially like the wordplay in the lines:
‘sliding the last plate in place
she spies through a tiny gap
pinpointing her moment
to escape’.
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Loving this!
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Thanks for stopping by☺️
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Cool animal to write about and I really like the flourishes of her construction and how she peers out after she’s finished building.
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