Second thoughts

Artist:   Lily Higgins

This is part of the doll poem series for Margaret Bednar's daughter and classmates who stitched these wonderful creations ~ My first one is here and for this second one, I have written a short story ~  Thank you for the inspiration ~ 

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the journey to the witch haggler's home   

was long and perilous of white sharks and eels  

blue deep water was colder than i thought

and the squids were faster with their ink defense

i am unlike my cousin, the giant octopus 

who is content with waiting & holding hands to mate -- 

ambitious, i want to make money of trade secrets --

when danger lurks, my nerve poison is most potent  

i am told the black sac fetches a fortune & i dream 
of living in pearly castle and not eating crabby food -- 

but all throughout the weedy & slimy journey  
i pine for my solitary rock bed & holes to curl into  

away from the rock lobster with big creepy eyes
and claws targeting my bagful ass

good thing, my skin color is versatile as sand shifting - 
i can look pale as a shell or sultry vamp if i want to --

at cove's edge, i hear the witch crackling,
limbs eager to suck me dry, witless & predictably tame 

i hesitate & contemplate my choices  - i do have them - 
while admiring my lavender hair & eight tentacles-- they are 

definitely deadlier than just two,  i inhale deeply 
and remember the power of life and death in my hands --

thrill of hunt and escape, learning colors & textures,
gift of re-growing damaged arms, embracing my shadows--

i change my mind, and head for sunnier Pacific Sea
who says i got no backbone ? 

Posted for OpenLinkNight and Sunday's Challenge of Real Toads -

I have already posted a poem based on Friday's tragic event in my haiku on Friday.  For this OLN, I have decided to write something light and fun for a change, to balance my (and others) emotional well-being who is (are) suffering second-hand trauma & stress from all the bad news over the weekend.   Thanks for the visit ~