August 1-7, 2005: J. Graham Ducker and Genevieve Legacy

J Graham Ducker and Genevieve Legacy

The Elephant There was an elephant Of size most elegant, but deemed it irrelevant to his own important, who became disenchanted with life It was one constant chewing leaves of every plant nearby, or in distant places “I’d supplant this diet that I can’t change! So redundant!” Then he’d go and rant and rave, (no social grace), causing all to give him space, though never showing a trace upon their collective face inner feelings of disgrace he’d brought upon the place “I am quite sure I need adventure Perhaps if I indenture myself, I could cure this feeling of censure “ Said they, “You’re cocksure that a sinecure would be an investiture What a pile of hot manure!” “Join the circus is what I’ll do while someone cleans up my poo, I’ll help with tents and wagons, too It should be better than the zoo where everyone yells at you You’ll see! You’ll rue the day you chided me!” Just then a feathered Bandurie landed on his head lightly and said consolingly: “Please excuse me, Your Excellency, regarding my preciosity for assisting one whose verbosity extends beyond his ‘proboscity’ I humbly would suggest you approach the lioness If you’re nice, she may confess how she performed under duress It’s up to you God bless “ Before the elephant could ask “What’s next?” the bird left that pachyderm perplexed Was he expected to commute across the plain and dispute with a lady of ill-repute; a female so dissolute, her morals were an institute! Not he He was too astute to think she might contribute something to his resolute Then again, she may refute his notions anomalous So he began with steps impious, knowing he was impervious to something veracious from someone so sagacious The trip was tortuous, and extremely arduous, for such a colossus, even if his aim was spurious He approached the homogeneous pride and said “Er, just a sec, I don’t mean any disrespect, (It wasn’t true, but what the heck), I’ve just finished a long trek to find the girl whom I suspect was in the circus Am I correct?” They all turned from their cosy nap and contemplated the pile of fat with too-long nose and ears so flat What would they want to do with that? But one ol’ girl, a tawny cat, slowly rose from her grassy mat, and stared through slits unblinking as to what this hulk could be thinking “I heard you were with the circus scene People say they treat you mean; Feed you little; keep you lean They wouldn’t dare do me that way! I’m too immense! I just won’t stay!” Imperceptibly, he took note how his voice constricted in his throat His eyes surveyed her frayed coat of matted hair, some mangy dots, various kinds of scruffy spots Her claws were dulled, her teeth were culled, her tail was chewed and bent One ear was ripped, the other clipped, this feline did not represent the ideal sage or precedent he was expecting He wasn’t rejecting her out of hand; she just wasn’t what he had planned His mind said, ‘Leave’, but he was pinned to the ground when she turned and grinned Behind those cold-gold eyes an inner power he could visualize Thus, it came as no surprise when she spoke, there was no disguise “I may be wrong, but I surmise I should not caution one so wise as I might traumatize someone your size so you may compromise your stand so paragon But, I could be wrong “ The elephant looked all around, hemmed and hawed and pawed the ground; did not know why he felt such dread, but he curled his trunk and finally said, “Every day, when there’s no more-a, I search about for different flora to make a sort of dietary change Seems as though throughout my range” The Lioness interrupted: “A grange is merely what you desire, to supply the food when you retire “ “Is the circus such a place where I can work and have some space? When you were there and did your feats, they gave you food and raw meats; sometimes even gave you treats I heard that from a friend of mine, who got it by the jungle-vine “ The big cat slowly swished her tail She knew that to prevail over this typical stubborn male, points must be made congenial, almost distastefully cordial, so the outcome would be rhetorical I understand your day is such that when you want, you eat as much as you physically can touch “ “Yes ” he said His voice was light “Sometimes when you’ve stayed up at night, come morning you just might stay in bed and have a bite about noon Am I right?” “Yes” He tried for the same conviction, but he noted some restriction in his voice: a prediction? “So, you have fairly easy life: no bills, no kids, no nagging wife Seems to me there’s not much strife “ Involuntarily, he stepped back from those eyes The attack although dispassionate, did not lack strength: a preliminary mind-set crack She had, with verbal expedition, and with gentle disquisition, shown how a mental contradiction can sometimes cause an affliction it resembles an addiction Through bleary eyes he surveyed this ragged cat that just saved him from a life depraved He felt ashamed how he’d behaved towards her and others of her clan He resolved to be a better man, and further grow to understand how varied creatures on the land survive together as THE MASTER planned He blinked again and looked at her She was long and lanky; so sleek of fur Something strange had transformed her! Could it be his new mental state had changed her to create the proper picture instead? She did not turn aside her head when his trunk stroked out and humbly said, “Thank you ” into her ratty ear Could she detect a tear As she watched him disappear, And glad he saw a new point of view Then she returned to her own crew, which welcomed her for a job well done As all stretched out in the summer sun, A dozy voice was heard to speak “You know, that’s the second one this week “ Thus, did that pachyderm trundle back and return to his region to spurn his foolish sojourn He did not yearn for a panacea His friends said, “We’re glad to see ya!” There he aged in his savannah, counselling others who just might wanna venture forth on errant paths He munched on plants, had dust baths, improved his life and honed his wits, because, an elephant never forgits.

City Haiku zig-zag of traffic teenagers and homeless man four lanes SUVs clamor of children man with neck brace, crook necked cane bus to social services cement blooms red, pink woman in black jacket waits roadside flower sale red-capped man stomps by “you’re all motherfuckers, ha!” easter sunday news suburb pizza shop blonde girl tells friend to “suck it” aftershcool special City Sketch .urban neighborhood skyline drawn against mix of clouds, some fat and hanging low, nearly pierced by the crucifix topping the St Boniface steeple, others passing high and rangy, pulled apart by upper level conditions of friday firmament It is midday with sun at it highest peak, casting only foreshortened shadows, squashed and partially concealed by the undersides of feet, cars, foundations of other buildings, the roots of trees All exposed to full light- almost no shadows to be seen Below the steeple, motion of uniform clad catholic school boys, creates constantly shifting pattern of brown arms in sky blue short sleeved shirts, legs in navy slacks and mostly sneakered feet pursuing a worn basketball that spins and stops, shoots and stops, hitches, lifts off and bounces across the winter salted asphalt surface of the parish parking lot .