Elephants Never Fret – September 2, 2019 Weekly
Welcome to the Elephants Never Weekly! Humans face a lot of day-to-day pressures. Whether juggling our many obligations or dealing with bias and racism, we handle a lot. Many times, our own flaws burn us from within. Yet, we can look to nature and the elements for wisdom. Maybe we can flow through our issues like water. And no matter what, remember: elephants never fret.
"A Practical Guide to Confronting Racism" by Dani Putney
It’s possible she doesn’t know
what you’re hiding:
Confederate flag waves
from your old pickup,
slurs bark—windows down—
as desert donuts bake,
an unquestioning pal
howling in the passenger seat.
"what we can learn from water" by Mia Wright
drip.
learn to mete yourself out
as your cloud intuition advises.
decide what pieces of you
belong where and for how long.
let your droplets
kiss petals,
light up the earth
"An Indigenous Halloween" by River Rivers
“How about Warpath?”
“I don’t like the name.”
“How about Red Wolf?”
“Nah, that outfit is too much like a cowboy.”
“What Native superhero do you want to be then?”
"Fret"
My obligations pile up faster than I can deal with them, and I don’t know what I’m going to do. Although I don’t sweat, I can feel my hot spots revving into high gear. My pulse is racing, and I want either a mud bath or a huge bunch of bananas. You can’t fight instinct sometimes.
"Sin Within" by Rickey Rivers Jr.
Vividly, with red hot skin, yet it lies under ready to reveal again.
My skin keeps it in.
Dried and cracked, burned and black, hear it sizzle and burn?
Listen close.
Not too close.