Odder

This section summarizes Poem 53: “day 1,” Poem 54: “a pup’s life,” Poem 55: “leashed,” Poem 56: “the otter hair salon,” Poem 57: “perfect,” Poem 58: “day 28,” Poem 59: “so much to learn,” Poem 60: “tool use,” and Poem 61: “what to fear.”

Odder was so cute when she was born that she looked more like a toy than a live otter. After Odder’s birth, her mother, Ondine, knew that she’d spend the next several weeks caring for her pup, holding her on her chest while Odder just drank and slept—the life of a pup. When Ondine dove for food, she left Odder securely fastened to a kelp frond so that she wouldn’t float away. In addition, Ondine had to devote much of each day to grooming because fur maintenance is essential to otters’ survival: Through their grooming, they create air bubbles in their fur that allow them to stay afloat. Otters don’t usually fuss too much over names; survival leaves room for little else. However, as the weeks passed, Ondine realized that “Odder” was the perfect name for the little pup: She was always restless and looking for the next adventure. Ondine’s final duty to her pup was to teach her what to fear, including sharks and humans, though it felt wrong to instill fear instead of joy in the young Odder.