Inner Elephant
Inner Elephant
I’m so mad.
I’m so sad.
Here’s the thing–my inner elephant
is matriarchal
and its bony spine, bellying up through its back
like that dark line from the navel
that forever defines a woman
who’s given birth
is sick of bowing, sick
of bundled sticks, sick
of switches–and, though it likes, in fact,
to sweep, it (my back) is sick of being suited
with a broom as an
accoutrement.
Sick of being bulled, it wants
to keep its slightly sunken calf
between its legs,
doesn’t care if it must trumpet dust, wants just
to strumpet, let
me be, says my
inner elephant,
wrinkle kneed,
thick toe-nailed, trunked
like a blubbery eel–stop
telling me what
to feel
let me wobble,
all my loosening body parts
in loose tow,
so creased my whole being pleats
like an old neck, what
the heck—
here’s the other thing–when you, female,
are an inner elephant,
you somehow forget
about being physically
overpowered.
******************************
Very much of a draft poem, some number for April, and for Shay’s (Fireblossom’s) prompt on With Real Toads about elephants. I actually have a couple for this prompt, but not sure I’ll get my other one together (or that this one is together particularly.)
I’m sorry by the way if late returning comments–a really busy week. Sorry also that the drawing is a recycled one. Just a hard week.
Explore posts in the same categories: elephants, poetry, UncategorizedTags: April 2016 National Poetry Month, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, inner elephant poem, let me be old and female poem, manicddaily, sick of it all poem
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ManicDDaily 
April 21, 2016 at 9:26 pm
I love both feel and flow of this, especially:
“doesn’t care if it must trumpet dust, wants just
to strumpet, let
me be, says my
inner elephant”
April 21, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Oh the sad eyes in your painting….I LOVE the whole idea of an inner elephant. I think I will adopt that idea (I already have the neck for it, LOL)………..LOVE the poem, so sorry work is hell……..grrrrrrr. You might need to swing your trunk around a little, and let out a bellow or two. That might clear the air. Tomorrow is Friday. Thank God.
April 22, 2016 at 2:38 am
I adore the feeling of that inner elephant, and I feel so envious of the elephant concept being so female… the male elephant seems to be more of a raging bull or a lonesome miser… the last stanza really wraps it up perfectly.
April 22, 2016 at 6:31 am
Love where this is going.
April 22, 2016 at 7:59 am
I felt when I was writing my own, and again reading this one, k, how powerful a spirit animal the elephant is, how many forces it can represent, and how close we are to it and its ways. Lovely work with the metaphor throughout this.
April 22, 2016 at 8:08 am
Thanks. It is a very iconic animal and very powerful. The face is so sympathetic seeming and noble too. k.
April 22, 2016 at 8:11 am
Yes, the eyes in particular are so human–maybe because of their small size in that great wise head.
April 22, 2016 at 8:30 am
Yes, and the defined lashes. Agh. k.
April 22, 2016 at 8:58 am
Ah, I had to come over to read one of your elephant poems. I understand that inner elephant feeling.
April 23, 2016 at 9:20 am
This is absolutely magnificent both in words and image 🙂
April 24, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Ha! That ending. No doubt!