The following letter was sent in 2026 by writing mentor, Ellen, who said, “Sixteen-year-old writer, Pierce, shared with me recently a letter he’d written to poet Denice Frohman in response to “once a marine biologist told me octopuses have three hearts,” in which Pierce discusses how the poem helped him navigate the grief of his dear friend’s suicide. [...] at a time when both the arts and mental health support are under siege, I wanted to share this stunning example of how the work at Poets.org really is making a powerful impact.”
Pierce’s letter to Denice Frohman
Dear Denice Frohman,
From the moment I read the first stanza of “once a marine biologist told me octopuses have three hearts,” I was intrigued. Fascinated. There was something about it that just screamed connection. I love to write poetry, and I make sure that every poem that I write has a real deeper meaning to it that connects with my heart and soul, and I’m sure you do too.
There have been many times in my life, especially in the last few months, when I have felt like I have had too many ways to give myself away. And yet, at the same time, I wonder: What do you think it truly means to give oneself away? I think it means to surrender to what other people may think of you, or what your inner thoughts and brain want you to really be. At the same time, we are all of one species, so how infinitely different could we all really be?
When I think about comparing humans to the complexity of an octopus, maybe I think about basic things, like their increase in arms and how they live in the water instead of on land. But your comparison to the heart is stunning. I realize, as I read and write this letter, that maybe we are of two different species, but the heart isn’t a factor that sets us apart, but what brings us together. And this helps me discover that love is a real form of connection. Because even though blood and muscle come from the outside of the heart, there is no doubt that spirit comes from within it.
I lost a friend a few months back. I’m not sure and will never know why. But one theory in my head is that he never really thought he fit in. He may have felt like he had everything within his grasp at once, but one slip and he was held back, just like the octopus. And I know in my heart what my real heartbreak may be, and like the octopus I can bounce back. Because I can recognize that, while we may be apart, I know that he is able to connect, whether it may be with an octopus or anything else in our universe, because the heart may break, but it never truly dies.
I know that you and I may only have one heart, but in this world, I’ve discovered, and I’m sure you have too, that one heart can be everything. Thank you for writing this beautiful piece of literature, for writing words that I know I will connect with forever.
Sincerely,
Pierce
California
