On both sides
There was fear and doubt
The railway
And the road
An elephant trapped
Between the two
Who knows the jungle code?
Clearly not the railways
Clearly not the road
Clearly not the people
And clearly not the elephant
Now of no fixed abode
The indifference of the city
Such nonchalance we see
The carelessness of planners
And their neutrality
Unconcerned and uninvolved
Disenchanted in a way
The elephant unwelcome
Though he has the right of way
History gave him acclaim
Though the townsfolk didnt agree
Their desire was to quell his fire
And try to make him see
There is no place for wildness
Only slavery
Thats an important remit
That everyone must be
Beholden to the future
His courage has to be
Thwarted by the corporation
His intrepidity
Has to be turned into fear
For intimidation will
Pave the way with hopefulness
And this adage they instil
If you want an elephant
A concrete one maybe
Is safer for the city streets
Than a real one, they cant be
Anywhere near the traffic
Be it road or rail
The future is now corporate
Wildness has to fail
Ans maybe ckncrete people
Will be the next statues
Standing in the city streets
Won’t that be good news?
Rex Tyler is a Poet, Campaigner, former owner of an organic shop of 30 years, and Public Speaker living in Berkhamsted, UK.