The She Elephant

a poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Pygmies shot arrows of hate
into the giant she elephant’s behind,
crazed she ran amok
and trampled down villages in her path.
Minor elephants tried to talk sense into her,
it had happened to them as well,
but she wouldn’t listen,
sees enemies everywhere
and her trumpet call to the world is:
‘Those who are not with me are against me.’
The jungle of life is an risky place,
now made worse by a big animal’s
persecution complex.