poem: Written for A Living Poet 2: hiding elephants

selected for Spring 2015 publication in the "Lercenist" poetry journal

Elephants could not hide in this room

there being neither space

nor breadth for their obfuscation,

and you would have

an obscure reference:

something Pliny the Elder

or Anne Sexton had to say

about the immutability of elephants

in general, or the natural history

on hand, of how many nerve endings

in the trunk tip

must be touched for their bulk

to respond to human stupidity

when usually they just ignore us

no matter how much we are in fact

awestruck by their presence.

But that perhaps is just your way-

you wake up one morning

to find the elephant has trampled

through the butter in the fridge

and instead of telling about it,

outright; you show us the evidence:

the damaged lettuce, which was

resting on the shelf underneath

the butter, greasy tracks

where he (for only he's get into

your fridge and f**k things up,

the she's of the world  know better)

slipped on the linoleum and skidded

to an abrupt halt

against the [now] broken radiator.

It was an elephant, all right

but in your wisdom

you'll leave us to guess

that important detail.

for dana, with love 

Reviews

[h d e rushin]

I know elephants...what I mean is, I know what they do; they never take the goods by force.
Never sack the village or plunder the artifacts from the tomb. They stand quietly among the
onlookers and the plumbago. Yeah they do.

And with everyone watching, and since they stand among us closer to the sun, they raise an
apple or two in that single instance of reverence.

I love you forever......dana

[Marie Anzalone]

Very few poets have inspired me to write more than one piece for them. The subject of this one warrants his own book, I think. That love is returned, 5-fold. Hope that is ok with you. Sending light across the universe, because you know what it is like to stand closer to the sun that way. Oh yes, you do know. Elephants, indeed.

[Coyote Poetry]

A amazing poem.
"It was an elephant, all right
but in your wisdom
you'll leave us to guess
that important detail. "
You create place, thoughts and good visions. Impossible to hide a elephant. I agree. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[Marie Anzalone]

Thanks so much for this review, Coyote! It was fun to write this series, trying to get int the poets' heads. The elephant was based on a piece that the poet acctually wrote.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome. I enjoyed the poetry.

[Tree]

This was great. Dana's work is like fine fine wine, and wine is so much better appreciated when you sit with it a while, learn its history, and savor all its nuances. He has a beautiful mind that builds deep blue imagery, one that makes connections and births ideas very few of us would ever make. I've said this before. If you give his poetry a chance Dana will light up and open up places in your mind and imagination, you might otherwise never explore.

Very cool piece, Marie. So Dana ...


Diego

[Marie Anzalone]

I tried to anayze how he does things... and he does them a lot like John did. Start with an image, and run with it, let it give birth. While John would run all over the page, into other worlds, dana reigns it in, tighter, somehow. Masterful. It is like being taken on a guided tour of James Joyce's head. I tried my best to honor thegreat man by trying to pass his style through my filter. Not sure how well I succeeded, but I actually like the overall effect. Yes, it feels right for him.

yours is coming up when I find words. :-)

[Emily B]

I have noticed that there US always one who will assert there was never an elephant, even when the evidence is irrefutable. He was there alright, i don't have to see it to know ut

[Marie Anzalone]

I tirof those who tell us that the elephant is there, and tell us how to feel or think about it. I so much prefer those who show us th eevidence, then let us make up our own mind what to do about it. If I were a drinking person, it woul dbe exactly as Diego says: sitting down with a good storyteller over a glass of fine wine and taking in the atmosphere, laughing at th edamned mystery of it all.

[W.k.kortas]

The good dana deserves the good stuff in his honor, and you have done him honor.

[Marie Anzalone]

wiriting one for a few others, as well... in the middle of two, when they called me in to work. so, later this evening, maybe, because they will have me occupied all day. I have an hour to plan put th enext 3 years of my professional life. When it rains, it pours. Anyway, one of th eones I was working on, actually, is for YOU, my fine friend. Be patient, and I will send you the link when I am satisfied with it. :-)