I Think I’ll Be an Otter if it’s All the Same to You
A Tercet poem with imagination
I’d like to be an otter if it’s all the same to you,
Said Simon to his mother one sunny day,
As he got on the floor and pretended to swim away.
When morning came and breakfast too,
He said ,"I’ll have raw fish if it’s all the same to you,"
"And you can take me swimming if that O.K. too."
For twenty days he rolled and rolled around the floor
Pretending to be an otter in an otter kind of way
His mother was dumbfounded; what exactly could she say?
"So tell me, dear, how long do you think you’ll be an otter?"
"I need to make some changes to the things that I do,
But I’d like you back as my little boy if it’s all the same to you."
Then finally it happened, why no one could be sure,
As quickly as it started, the cheeky little otter went away,
The mother got her boy back and hoped that’s how it would stay.
****
[Author's Note: This poem is based on an experience a very good friend of mine had with her little boy just before he turned five. There was a lot of change at the time: moving house, new school, new friends and new baby sister. Was this his way of coping, escaping into an imaginary form as an otter?]
Till next time,
Calvin
About the Creator
Calvin London
I write fiction, non-fiction and poetry about all things weird and wonderful, past and present. Life is full of different things to spark your imagination. All you have to do is embrace it - join me on my journey.
Keep reading
More stories from Calvin London and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (5)
This was fun and I think you might be onto something with it being his way of coping in a childlike way, the only way he knew. Loved this delightful bit of whimsy though. Was a lot of fun to read and had impeccable flow, Calvin! Nice Work!
Fantastic as always, although this one gave me an extra little chuckle. ;)
A very fun poem, Calvin!
The child's imagination and innocence were amusing, but in the end, he gave up the idea of becoming an otter. I really liked that image ✨😊
I think I'd rather be an otter too! I think you're right to guess the changes made him reflect on things, even at that young age! That image? Sort of cute, sort of creepy!