For anyone to gift a fellow creature
an elephant to a monastery
must see
that because religion holds
its place
it doesn’t mean that’s there’s
any guarantee
looking after an elephant
is a challenge
it musn’t be taken lightly
for to do
anything but really put one’s heart
into the process
anything less will
fail fail that is my view
an elephant is a huge
soul
its consumption needs
lots of thought
and care is needed too
an animals that walks
a wild mile earnestly
needs fresh air
and what it wants to do
so to put it in a closed place
it would pine a lot
it needs fresh air
its lungs need that to be
but to put it in a dark shed
chained up then its frustration
would swell inside itself
decidedly
in reality the elephant
was neglected
religion and its masters
cannot see
the need the care it must be there
and constant
you cannot neglect an elephant
its not fair
as time goes on the elephant
will suffer
the heat the lack of air
its very hard
chained up against a wall
with far too few to call
its emotions would truthfully off guard
and this is what did happen
the religious side of things
got preference over caring
and all of that just brings
conflict to the reckoning
the elephant would see
little in his world alas
and sadder he would be
Rex Tyler is a Poet, Campaigner, former owner of an organic shop of 30 years, and Public Speaker living in Berkhamsted, UK.