An Octopus In the waters of solitude,
Where life begins its pilgrimage,
Beneath indifferent hands,
The hunger of arms are flexed
In their voluptuous depth.

Like a girl out of reach,
The octopus invites your curiosity
With the comfort of her tentacles,
Mysterious,
Assured, and gray,
Drifting in time and silence.

She will lead you beyond belief,
Into an underwater world,
Against the rocks and soft light
Of reflections bending, rippled,
Where color reflects her truth.

• Marianne Moore