The Elephant

How intelligent the elephant,
With a built-in trumpet to blow.
How elegant the elephant,
With such massive structure to show.

Huge, graceful, lumbering giant,
Constructive, destructive creature.
Gentle and rough, tender and tough,
Distinctive elephant features.

Weight lifters of the jungle,
Bulldozers of the plains.
Powerful beasts of labor,
Carry loads like railway trains.

Their size alone intimidating,
Men harness them for heavy tasks.
But, they assume like-minded folks,
With self-demeaning circus acts.

Protective, possessive, Pachyderms,
That love their families more than life.
They train their offspring wisely,
And tend each other all their lives.

Sad victims of the greed of men,
Priceless ivory bearers.
Fear no animal alive,
Just man...their greatest terror.

For shame man you've done it again,
You've doomed a creation of God's.
A heart was inside that toughened hide,
What were you thinking of!

Virginia Ellis
Poetry By Ginny