Exhaustion

For an elephant to drop dead
From exhaustion
Shows clear evidence
That mentally as well
As physically this soul
Gave up the fight to carry on
And this as much a human failing
For the tourists sat upon
Working this poor creature
Beyond his hearts desire
Crippling him so savagely
Creating that great fire
Within his heart and lungs
And brain and making him realise
The futility of carrying on
In his world that seemed so dire

Weakened and deflated flagging at every pace
Overstrained and really pained
Everywhere he put his feet
He felt so very helpless
He just could not compete
And so he lost his balance
And fell upon the slope
Carrying heavy tourists
Why should he want to cope
It all seemed much too much for him
Especially in the heat
And so he closed his eyes and died
The job just had him beat

To tourists going out to Vietnam
And Thailand please
Understand that elephants
For them it’s not a breeze
They are not meant to carry you
On this hilly ground
And working hard there all their lives
In stress they are surely drowned
Don’t be such a nuisance
Let the elephants be
Resting for a period
Not your slaves perpetually