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It seems impossible that we've reached this date on the calendar. I can hardly keep up. Dearest poet Amy Ludwig Van Derwater is hosting this week's round-up at her amazing blog, The Poem Farm. Thank you, Amy! I hope you will enjoy many offerings of poetry there.
I'm answering the call for Octopus poems that Dear Agnes: Postcards from an Octopus (Millbrook, 2018) by Irene Latham has inspired. See Irene's Desperately Seeking Octopus Poems blog of last week.
By the way, Agnes is getting good press already. Hooray! See the Kirkus review.
By the way, Agnes is getting good press already. Hooray! See the Kirkus review.
Did you know that the third week in June is Cephalopod Week?
I didn't either!
Fortunately, for us, Science Friday on NPR does....complete with octopus haiku. Who knew? I may have to celebrate every year, now!
Celebrate Cephalopods
I didn’t know, did you?
Cephalopod Week
is third week of June
a date octopuses keep
With backward swims
scouting out prey
All eight of their limbs
hunt festive entrées
An Octopus parties alone
they’re really quite shy
If you find one at home
she’ll squirt you with dye
Her masquerade ink
An off-putting greeting
Hiding from you
Hiding from you
is all she’s needing
If you choose to observe
cephalopod week this June
show some reserve
party quietly alone...in your room
© Linda Mitchell
"Festive entrées"! Love it. "Cephalopod" is such a great word, isn't it? Glad they get their own week.
ReplyDeleteWow and 'no', I did not know about cephalopod week, but love that you celebrated it along with Irene's "Love, Agnes", a sweet book. Octopuses are fascinating. We had one in a small aquarium here and it escaped! It was found, but went quite a ways in the building first. I like that "off-putting greeting", Linda
ReplyDeleteLinda, this story needs to be in a poem!
DeleteHmm, an octopus poem! Thanks for sharing your contribution, I might try my hand at making an octopus poem too. Knowing all the different celebrations throughout the year gives you lots of interesting topics to work with.
ReplyDeleteI had to smile at festive entrees. :) Fun poem and thanks for the heads up about cephalopod week.
ReplyDeleteOh, Agnes is certain to enjoy this, and to appreciate your appeal for solitude! Thanks so much for sharing, Linda. Happy Cephalopod Week, nine months early. ;0)
ReplyDeleteFun cephalopod poem Linda, and I liked reading the haikus and seeing the images in your link from Science Friday–that red octopus sure seemed a bit foreboding–not at all like "Agnes," Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun poem, Linda. I have on my to-do list 'write octopus poem' but have yet to come up with a start. Yours is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun octopus poem! I love that you made her a she like Agnes. She needs an illustration with a crown!
ReplyDeleteNice one, lots of educational nuggets. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great word: cephalopod. I never heard it or that there is a special week to celebrate. Hooray for the 8 armed sea creature who parties alone and could squirt me with black ink.!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun poem! I'm with the octopus--partying alone is my kind of party--at least some of the time.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt Agnes is chuffed, Linda, even if she's too shy to thank you in person! I love that you wove quite a few interesting facts into your poem... though from you, I wouldn't have expected anything less.
ReplyDeleteCephalopods are fascinating! Thanks for sharing your cute and educational poem!
ReplyDelete"Masquerade ink." Oh, yes! And somehow, octopi keeping track of dates really makes me smile over here. Thank you for this! Agnes needs a big bulletin board for all of her new poems. :) xx
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