Swimming past a gilded sea floor,

it hides its body in the silky sand.

It flees from the beast for its life.

Gliding over jagged cliffs, littered with spears and arrowheads,

it hides its scores of arms in the rocky crevices.

It cowers from the beast in terror.

Treading above the round, frilly stems of coral,

it hides its ears in the bulbous spines.

It retreats from the beast with disdain.

Floating below the aquamarine of the sky,

it hides its eyes in the light of day.

It conceals from the beast its rubbery soft body.

Passing near a group of jagged clam shells,

it hides its teeth in the milky, pearlescent spheres.

Until it needs to hide no more

and the beast will know its trauma.