the grief of an elephant
		--------------------------------------------------------

		her trunk probes -- fondles moves fondles and again
		she probes the skull the ridges
		she kisses the teeth and again
		and again

		this is going on for hours in the namibia sun

		soft-probes -- fondles -- fondles -- the motion repeats

		the calf dropped some months ago, anthrax
		the herd returns, water

		attention piagetian cognitive psychology:
		these pathmakers are mapmakers
		these mapmakers make new paths
		
		at dusk infrasound formerly unheard by man
		is listened to for up to six miles
		bouncing off the warm air, temperature inversion

		elephant talk elephant talk
		an elephant is a submarine -- pinging and lis(t)e
		ning

		her soft trunk probes fondles fondles, again and again

		how are you putting in words that what you are saying,
		elephant mother?

		no need to ask about kissing the ridges kissing the teeth
		touching the mouth (the usual greeting when two meet)

		what are you saying of and to
		your dead baby daughter.


			Marek Lugowski
			2 October 2000
			Chicago, Illinois