Elephants and Spiders

Elephants and Spiders


In a black lacquered box of heirlooms,

Amongst baubles and loosened beads,

And the gentle recollections of a lifetime,

I was permitted to choose -

And digging amongst the mountain of tangled chains

Broken clasps and earring backs

I turned my attention to the elephants -

Elephants of pink and white and green

Elephants on chains and pins and rings

Elephants of acceptance

Elephants of persistence

Elephants of a common existence.

And there below,

Cast alone with gold legs and green stone -

No obvious beauty in

The modern sensibility,

A spider of creativity

A spider of eccentricity

A spider of nonconformity

A spider of soft soliloquy

A spider weaving webs of destiny -

I chose the spider, grandmother,

I chose the spider.


~Darkling Plain, Aug. 24, 2006