I will. I will. I will.
Elephant and Bird
—responding to Jory Mason’s 2024 sculpture “Young Friends”
What might
a baby elephant
and a bird
have to teach?
With wrinkles and wings,
a tender trunk and a beckoning beak
themselves at home on the African continent
Meanwhile, humans engaged in scientific study or art rendition
notice how a red-beaked oxpecker,
all of eight inches long and weighing a mere two ounces,
companions a young elephant’s two hundred-plus pounds
catching there a free ride
so as to feast upon tiny pests,
a splendid symbiosis created by difference—
one might even call it a friendship arrangement,
minute and magnanimous
from tip of trunk to tip of beak
displaying a truth
voiced by an American sage
“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature”
May the young always be
schooled to see and be
this elephant in the room.
—Emily Jane VandenBos Style - sharing a recent FRIENDSHIP poem I wrote - as a boost back
A beautiful sharing, dear Emily. "A splendid symbiosis created by difference . . ." Thank you.
Love this poem and also read Swimming With a Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle. So wonderful, such clarity. Thanks to you for passing it on and of course to Freya.
Ah yes, another great poem by Freya!
Brought some tears….. “The older I grow, the more I fear I'll lose my old friends,”
I’m at the age where this so resonates …..
I'm getting there, too, Michaele...at least to where I can imagine not remembering. For now, I embrace them and send them love!
The loss is the pain of loving. Fortunately (I think) the love is always greater than the pain.
Oh, so nice. I am grateful to have people I can forward this to, and hope to have one or two more before my time's up!
Oh, I've no doubt that you shall!
Elephant and Bird
—responding to Jory Mason’s 2024 sculpture “Young Friends”
What might
a baby elephant
and a bird
have to teach?
With wrinkles and wings,
a tender trunk and a beckoning beak
themselves at home on the African continent
Meanwhile, humans engaged in scientific study or art rendition
notice how a red-beaked oxpecker,
all of eight inches long and weighing a mere two ounces,
companions a young elephant’s two hundred-plus pounds
catching there a free ride
so as to feast upon tiny pests,
a splendid symbiosis created by difference—
one might even call it a friendship arrangement,
minute and magnanimous
from tip of trunk to tip of beak
displaying a truth
voiced by an American sage
“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature”
May the young always be
schooled to see and be
this elephant in the room.
—Emily Jane VandenBos Style - sharing a recent FRIENDSHIP poem I wrote - as a boost back
A beautiful sharing, dear Emily. "A splendid symbiosis created by difference . . ." Thank you.
Love this poem and also read Swimming With a Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle. So wonderful, such clarity. Thanks to you for passing it on and of course to Freya.
Ah yes, another great poem by Freya!
Brought some tears….. “The older I grow, the more I fear I'll lose my old friends,”
I’m at the age where this so resonates …..
I'm getting there, too, Michaele...at least to where I can imagine not remembering. For now, I embrace them and send them love!
The loss is the pain of loving. Fortunately (I think) the love is always greater than the pain.
Oh, so nice. I am grateful to have people I can forward this to, and hope to have one or two more before my time's up!
Oh, I've no doubt that you shall!