A SONG IN HONOUR OF THE SQUID.

For Rhea Crossley's Undersea Creatures Competition

 

 

A SONG IN HONOUR OF THE SQUID

Consider do the octopus;

Spectacular

Tentacular;

A supersized,

Dramatized

Wriggly, squiggly,

Hey diddle diddly,

Ever so fiddly,

Hand-waving,

Ink-squirting

Squid.

 

I ask, “What is the benison

Bestowed by such dark denizen?

And please,

 However many’s in

The trenches of the deep?”

The Pacific could be full of ‘em,

Atlantic fishers’ stratagem

Is catching more and more of them

(They’re good, so good to eat).

 

But the Octopussy

Isn’t fussy

To be caught

And dried

And fried;

Even grilling  

Isn’t thrilling,

Gravy spilling,

Down each leg.

 

Not at all! He likes to rise,

Black ink squirting from his eyes,

From the deepest depths of deep

Frightened mariners to keep

In fear’s thrall and awesome dread

Of eight long legs an’ an ‘orrible ‘ead;

But it’s not that easy for a squid, d’you see

For most of them are rather wee,

Some no larger than a toe,

They need to grow and grow and grow

Until, within the depths below,

They swallow ships.

I like them though,

But on a plate,

Hunger to sate;

Served  in batter

Squids are great,

Better still on golden platter

Light in weight

In tiny rings,

A meal for potentates or kings.

 

Octopussies can be tough;

Well; - - - - if they are - - - - ROUGH!

Reviews

[R J Askew]

Please, o please! Don't eat me! for I tastes all 'orrid vile! Apparently Mediterranean folk salivate over risso negri...basically cuttlefish (sob), octopus cooked in its own ink! Your poem also reminds me of a literal in a story from east europe in which the author wrote of some policy or other going down like 'A DAMP SQUID'.

Your poem is wonderfully witty from start to finish and certainly made me grin on a grey Fryday morning.

[An owl on the moon]

I loved the playfulness of this flowing piece, which seemed both historical and hysterical at the same time. Have eaten squid and jellyfish and such, yet would much rather stick to simple salmon. Guess I'm just not too exotic! (So good to read your poetry again, John...)

[Fabian G. Franklin]

More calimari please. But a squid and an octopus are not the same, squid are more like cuttlefish and octopi are their tamer cousins, great fun this.

[RHEA CROSLEY]

Definitely a very fun read. This is an appetizing delight to gulp down. Thanks.

[Bear]

This is such fun to read!! Imagining via your words, the squid and octopus "doing their thing" in the depths of the sea!! Fine and fun poem... thanks for sharing!!
Sallie Bear

[JohnL]

Have Fun