A breath came out slowly,
and all eyes were on me,
Waiting for me to speak.
I found my voice in
the pit of my stomach and
Lifted the paper high.
“There are only two names
listed, you and me!”
The miracle was that
We were the only ones
ready to embark on a
mission as deep as the sea.
We started diving in, and
When we were on the bottom,
to our surprise, the octopus was
Ready to greet us as she did
before. Reaching out tentacles
To greet us both at the same time,
made us smile and we
Both stretched out our palms.
So happy she didn’t forget us,
This beautiful red creature who
would turn a different color and style
When she needed to camouflage.
She was happy to greet us and lead us
To the cave which she called home.
We were so honored to be treated
Like friends, we put arms around
Each other and watched a few
More minutes, then signaled we
Cared and would be back another time.
This is beautiful, Jacqueline. The way you described the encounter and the sense of recognition between you and the octopus felt so vivid and peaceful.
Side note, octopus are actually my favorite sea creature. Have you ever seen My Octopus Teacher? It’s such a fascinating look at how intelligent and relational they can be. 🐙