ZIMBABWE not the best place to be born

There has always been
a lack of understanding
A kind of godlessness
And lack of care
Elephants in Zimbabwe find themselves
Sold off abroad
Actually it could be anywhere
One really lovely soul
Known as Anna Louise
Went off to America
To help pay off some fees
She a wild sweet elephant
Found herself embroiled
In circus
With TOM DEMRY
Where for years and years
she toiled

Circus known as entertainment
For a certain kind
Of human who can’t see the cruelty
Clearly they are blind
To the needs of a wild elephant
And trucking them about
From town to town is awful
There has never been any doubt

Doing rides and dancing in the sawdust
Ring of death
Carry and playing a tamourine
Fighting to catch a breath
Slipping away in the heat of the day
And the sad wrath of night
Where they
Are painted up and ridden
In the pageant and display

Elephants walking constantly
On concrete find their feet
Rapidly becoming sore
Their weight alone has to compete
With these unforgiving surfaces
And neglect every day
Shackled in a cage or truck
Really theres no way

Any African Elephant
Should ever end up like this
In all these different circuses
Its chastisement never bliss
They really get a hammering
And tbis is night and day
Poor food and no clean water
And No exercise all day

The act is perhaps done Two times
No socisl life at all
Imagine being on your own
You need someone to call
You loved life and you loved friends
But you are mostly alone
With distant thoughts
Of loved ones
Condemned well Just to moan

No one makes amends with you
Because nobody cares
You are just a nuisance
Their selfishness it scares
The daylights out of sentients
Who suffer as they do
The music and the noisy crowds
And the bull hooks yes them too

Thirty years poor Anna louise
Left to her own device
Lost in thoughts and memories
They had to suffice
For the circus is a lonely place
At the best of times
Lots of insincerity
And venality that climbs

Up into ones psyche
Its demanding they are rude
People taking liberties
Most of them are crude
Travelling people tend to be
Mean, they fail to care
And what do they know about elephants
They just are not aware

Disparaged cat called and treated
Spitefully ofcourse
The handlers despite disease
They will always force
An elephant to walk faster
Or to get up or to be
Where its cold and draughty
They have eyes but do not see
Hearts that have no meaning
Souls dried up and gone
Traitors to the buman race
Who shouldn’t be upon

This earth no more
Compassion they do not know the word
They kick and pummel my sore legs
It really is absurd
Threaten with a big stick
A sword of Damocles
Clearly I could have crushed them flat
Just falling on my knees

People are really surly
Scowling every day
Not a smile amongst them
And they make me pay
Heavily if I am limping
They take the mick and they
Beat me any chance they get
Almost every day

When ZImbabwe sold me off
That was a tragic day
The anger it was smouldering
and has been
Come what may
I needed to hear some kind words
A pat a pet or two
Someone to smile and say they cared
It just seemed overdue

Love had somehow been a quality
That did not exist
I hankered for a relationship
Something I so missed
Affection of the spiritual kind
A closeness Had been a hope
I worked my butt off but wasnt rewarded
And now can hardly cope

I cry a lot at night times
When nobodys around
I have cause to regret my life
In sadness I am drowned
35 or there abouts
And feelig 70, I
Am waiting for the day when I can
Just lay down and die

Two tails ranch it beckoned
A sanctuary of sorts
Transferred there feeling so sad
Alone with just my thoughts
Thirty years of wondering
Hoping I would meet
Someone who might love me
And now I am all but beat

Retired to rest up dutifully
To just wait for the day
When vinayaki comes along
And, whisks me away
Off to elephant heaven
The saddest ele, me
Hopeful in my next life
I’ll find someone who will be

Close and spend some happy days
In the african sun
Far away from the circus
When all is said and done

RIP