We call this creature the emerald swindler
Who robs the alga of its vital green colour
A gentle leaf-like drifter in the tidal scene
Unfurling its back to catch the sun’s sheen.
It splits the cell, yet holds the green heart
Forgoing its food intake for a higher part
By indulging in kleptoplasty, an amazing art
It merges with plants where worlds sit apart.
Beneath the sun alone, it can solo feed
Dismissing all hunger, yet fulfilling its need
With stolen genes to shield the green estate
It masterfully redesigns its biology and fate.
A sea-slug soul surviving in a leaf’s design
Where animal and plant superbly entwine.
The emerald sea slug is a mollusc Elysia chlorotica.
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