Octopus

By Kashvi Goel

I sometimes think I am an Octopus,

Not the kind that lives

In the depths of a beautiful ocean

But the kind that hides

In murky waters imbued with 

Millions of billions salt crystals.

Those three hearts that I had,

I gave them to the same person.

No, I was not stupid enough

To hand them all over at once.

I gave them to him one by one.

I remember the first time,

It was soft like a feather,

Warm like caramel,

And just as thrilling 

as swimming with the sharks.

I saw it happen,

You cut me open

And blood dripped

And I was chased by the sharks.

The second time,

Yes, turned out I was stupid enough

To offer you my second heart.

You dragged me to the 

Coldest parts of the sea.

And my heart,

I painfully heard as the beats got faint,

I watched as it slowly freezed and died.

The third time,

I forgot that it was you

Who took me to the cold sea

Or the one who sliced me open.

To me, you were

My knight in shining Armour

As you rescued me from the sea

And how you nursed my wound.

The third time

Was what hurt the most.

You left me with just enough to survive.

I gave you my firsts

And you left me haunted.

You opened the wound

Exactly when we were

In the saltiest of waters.

You dangled the rotting second heart

In front of me,

Swinging it around as if trying to

Hypnotize me.

Hell, it worked.

I gave you my third heart, too.

It's gone now,

I just have a piece left,

It is a painstaking reminder

Of you,

And it takes everything,

Not to throw it away.

Because I know,

That if I do,

I am stupid enough

To throw it back at you.

By Kashvi Goel