the grief of an elephant
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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