Octopus for Lunch
From the book The Elephant Repairman
The other kids
like chicken nuggets,
hot dogs, or taquitos,
or burgers, fries,
or pizza pies,
or bean and cheese burritos.
But, as for me,
I’m strange, you see,
and what I like to munch
is just a plate
of marinated
octopus for lunch.
Octopus for lunch!
Oh, octopus for lunch!
It seems I’ve quite
an appetite
for octopus for lunch.
While they want lots
of tater tots,
or cheesy ravioli,
or seasoned beef
on lettuce leaf,
or chips with guacamole,
I like to eat
this tasty treat
and wash it down with punch:
A steaming bowl
or casserole
of octopus for lunch.
Octopus for lunch!
Oh, octopus for lunch!
I just can’t wait
to fill my plate
with octopus for lunch.
But now I find
I’ve changed my mind.
Indeed, I have a hunch
I’d better wait
and leave this plate
of octopus for lunch.
This plate is full
of tentacles
that waved around a bunch.
The way they sway
it seems that they
like little kids for lunch.
Octopus at lunch!
An octopus at lunch!
So run away
or else it may…
gergrabble… gobble… crunch!
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 3
Topics: Food Poems
Poetic Techniques: Irony, List Poems, Lyric & Dramatic Poems, Onomatopoeia, Repetition, Rhyme Schemes
About This Poem
I was walking through a famous market called Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal when I came across this sign offering an “Octopus Hot Dog.” Yes, that image above the poem is an actual picture of the actual sign.
I didn’t buy one but, when I saw it, I thought, “Wow. I’ll bet that would make an excellent poem. Some people would find an octopus hot dog fascinating, while others would think it’s disgusting.”
In the end, my poem wasn’t exactly about an octopus hot dog, but just about eating octopus for lunch. But watch out! Even if you like the idea of eating octopus for lunch, the octopus may have other ideas.
From the book The Elephant Repairman
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