Last Creature on Earth

by Emily Munro

His legs round the pillows
feet pushed in my spleen
sticky hands and toenails.
He says

I know what the last creature on earth will be.

It will be
      octopus.

The thing
we read about
clones itself.

Infinity octopus.

It never really dies,
he tells me.
Though it was a jellyfish

reproduces through strobilation
but what matter.
He says

I’d like to be one of those with you.

My son says such gorgeous things
he makes me stupid.

Emily Munro is a writer and filmmaker based in Glasgow, Scotland. She writes prose, poetry and non-fiction. She was longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award and the Briefly Write Poetry Prize.

emilymunro.co.uk
@ellomunro