The Temple Elephant

She narrowed her eyes and stared,

Stared at dozens of eyes that stared back,
All filled with awe, amusement and fun,
That which her eyes lack.

She spends most of the bright hours here,
Right at the entrance of the Goddess's shrine,
Idly masticating plantains and sugarcane,
Never does she complain or whine.

And then come the devotees,
Who make her a meager offering of a rupee or two,
For which she caresses them with her trunk,
And they leave thoughtlessly without adieu.

At the break of dawn and dusk,
The mahouts lead her around the temple,
To follow the chariots of the God and Goddess,
As it is daily, boredom and monotony ample.

Then she retires for the night,
Where, I do not know,
But surely chained somewhere in the valleys of solitude,
Poor thing, she must be feeling sad and low.

Her loneliness is guarded by these ancient walls,
Trapped in a one-animal zoo,
Yet she is patient, calm and poised,
Something we must learn too.

Author's Note

Most South Indian Temples, especially the old ones have a temple elephant. This poem seeks to express their feelings.

Reviews

[Abz]

I really enjoyed reading your poem on temple elephants which is a rare and unique concept. The words are woven beautifully that they bring the scenes right away in my mind's eye on reading, the last two paragraphs especially.