ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Picture credit: Elephant by joeclub_ake at Pixabay

Trunk out the window

Skull skimming the ceiling

My soles skid on people-patterned parquet

I squeeze myself into

Your denial

Your unwilling

Hope against hope

You’ll notice me

Acknowledge me

Before I am crushed

By the narrowness

Of your room

Dropping your voice

You talk across me

As if I am invisible

I know you prefer me shrunken.

I weep at my bulk

My inconvenient presence

The way I wear

This pachyderm skin

I know I embarrass you.

I see it in your

Averted eyes

Hushed voices

Awkward silences

Someone feels my leg.

I am called a tree.

One grabs my ear

And I become a fan.

Fondler of my flank

I am not a wall

In your world of human hating

My tusk your spear

My trunk a snake

My tail you tug as rope

Please stop!

Focus your eyes

Hard as obsidian

And see me!

Know me.

Let me be here.

Admit it.

Admit me.

Embrace me

As I am.

Then scramble up on my back

And I’ll carry you home.