Octavia the octopus had many things to do,

Too many things on her long list to possibly get through.

There were errands to run and tasks to complete.

Projects to work on, and meals to eat.

She had people to visit and places to be,

Appointments with guests, with whom to have tea.

She was planning, and crafting, and conspiring,

And reading, and learning about everything.

One morning, she was hard at work, as busy as a bee.

Accomplishing most of her tasks simultaneously.

She visited her neighbors, the family of eels.

She pet a couple boxfish, as cute as baby seals.

She built a house with coral and shiny little shells.

She coded a mobile app to help fish find hotels.

She ate a delicious seaweed meal, she really loves to eat.

She wrote some epic poetry about a seahorse named Pete.

She lifted weights and exercised to keep her body strong.

She made a pretty cool guitar to play a punk rock song.

By nature of her tentacles, she managed much at once.

She balanced her TODO list in a fluid ocean dance.

She multitasked with all eight limbs and tried to juggle more.

But found some things up in the sea or on the ocean floor.

And when she tried to do a thing that failed and fell through,

She got stressed out, and thrashed about, and turned rather blue.

By evening, Octavia cried with much exasperation.

A passing shark saw her despair and stopped without hesitation.

"My friend," the shark said to Octavia, "Whatever is the matter?"

Octavia said, "I am overwhelmed and feeling pretty scattered."

"I want to do so many things, but I am short on limbs."

"I can't do all things all the time and satisfy my whims."

The shark said to Octavia, "You must do one thing at a time."

"Despite your many tentacles you have but a single mind."

"Oh, there you are mistaken, Shark." the sad octopus said,

"I have nine brains - eight in my arms, and one inside my head."

"How interesting," replied the shark, "but I stand by my word."

"A single focus at a time makes living less absurd."

"Combine your minds on one big thing and really do it right."

"Enjoy the task that is at hand, and give it all your might."

"But, what about the other things?" the octopus whined.

"It's so much fun to start new things and swivel round your mind."

"You'll do worse work, and never end a single thing you've started."

"Your life will be an endless dance that leaves you empty-hearted."

"Just pick a thing and get it done. Keep your focus present."

"You'll find that being here not there is really rather pleasant."

And then the shark just swam away leaving Octavia to wonder.

What next thing she was to do was quite a thing to ponder.

She crawled into her little house and put on her thinking cap.

She concentrated with nine brains, and then she took a nap.

When she woke up, she set to work, to write a poem about herself

....