the grief of an elephant
               --------------------------------------------------------

               her trunk probes -- fondles moves fondles and again
               she probes the skull the ridges
               she kisses the teeth and again
               and again

               this is going on for hours in the namibia sun

               soft-probes -- fondles -- fondles -- the motion repeats

               the calf dropped some months ago, anthrax
               the herd returns, water

               attention piagetian cognitive psychology:
               these pathmakers are mapmakers
               these mapmakers make new paths

               at dusk infrasound formerly unheard by man
               is listened to for up to six miles
               bouncing off the warm air, temperature inversion

               elephant talk elephant talk
               an elephant is a submarine -- pinging and lis(t)e
               ning

               her soft trunk probes fondles fondles, again and again

               how are you putting in words that what you are saying,
               elephant mother?

               no need to ask about kissing the ridges kissing the teeth
               touching the mouth (the usual greeting when two meet)

               what are you saying of and to
               your dead baby daughter.


                       Marek Lugowski
                       2 October 2000
                       Chicago, Illinois