Eldred wrapped his trunk around the horse’s ribs and slammed it to the ground again. “Until I can’t no more, me!” Eldred trumpeted, ruffling the horse’s mane with the breeze. Bending a forelimb back, Eldred proceeded to kick the prone horse in the chest. Lidia the mouse winced as something inside the horse made a cracking sound. The horse was Read More
Tag: pachyderms
Evolved Elephants
by Hibah Shabkhez “Elephants never do homework.” “Elephants never wear mittens.” “Elephants never wash their—” “What’s going on here?” I asked, taking in the gigantic baby-pink elephant freshly taped to the fridge, and the other, even larger one which was being filled in with a concentration and vigour only a six-year-old artist could possess. “After mermaids, dolphins and seagulls, the Read More
An Elephantine Christmas
by Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad For Thomas Thorpe In your collection of Christmas cardsthe Peruvian nativity scene stands outnewborn hope cocooned in a cradlethe snow flecked peaks of the Andesrejoicing in the saviour’s birth. you show me the layered papyrusof an Egyptian Christmas cardwhere denizens gaze upon a stara prayer of hope and peaceupon their parted lips. then you look up Read More
Animals
by Jerry K. Robbins What if animals can stand apartFrom themselves, circumspectEven the lowly skink,Look around themselves and reflect“What am I to think?” What if a horse’s plaintive neighIs his way of announcingThat life is more thanRunning in circlesAt the beck and call of man What if an elephant coming across bonesThat once were enfleshed and aliveSees that these bones Read More
Relevant Elephant
by Pax Morrigan Picture yourself on a steppe cast in starlight withElephants gathering round the bone pitSaying goodbye to old matriarch Amba whoLed them courageously, brimming with grit Time repossesses her pachyderm carapaceTaking the ele and letting the phantOut of the bag to rove omnidirectionalHaunting all continents, ghost gallivant Waltzing through air on a jumbo safari sheArdently travels on slipstreams Read More
You Can’t Be Truly Happy On Tuesdays
by Mileva Anastasiadou I’d hate Tuesdays if it weren’t for you. Tuesdays are boring until five, when you arrive. Mom thinks I deserve better, yet mom doesn’t count, for that’s what moms always say. The clock’s ticking, she’ll say next, which doesn’t sound as threatening as she’d like, as what comes to mind is that huge clock on the wall, Read More
Ostrich
by André N. Lepine I thought I livedAn outsized lifeOstrich huge and free-runningFeet striking heatFrom savanna and sandsMy wings outstretchedAs if I really flew. Then came roarsFrom prowling predatorsShattering the skyWith trumpets accompanyingThunder from the truly hugeJuggernauts of lifeRumbling fear into me. I hidmyhead(buried in sand) until you cameand p u l l e d Read More
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. Personal comfort has to Read More
The Cairn on the Beach
by Annie Bien Artha’s feet sank into sand, the tide swept waves forward, ocean swarmed his legs, stung his ankle wounds. He cringed, dreading the whip, shouts, lacerations. He sank torso deep. Stay still. No more fire, collapsing wood, temple crashing, shouts, running, no darted thigh, falling. He remembered the boy blowing into his trunk, whispering: “No more whips, marigold Read More
Collect
“That’s a conch from Turks and Caicos,” says James. “The red one’s a dried starfish from St. Thomas. Ah, and that one was a hermit crab. We watched it drop this one and move into a new home.” “Wow, James. What a cool bunch of shells.” Elfred puts the conch down. “What made you keep them all?” “Well, most of Read More