Neatened up the papers on my desk
smallish pile this time
put an elephant on them
not the ebony one - after a moment's hesitation
but the larger one in verdite
thought: "in verdite, veritas?"
stood there with its silent trunk
on my e-mails
and the article on Planck-length
obeying gravitation
two stony dents for eyes
and one foot slightly lifted
in an eternal first step forward

Need a thicker skin I thought
turned him so that he could trumpet
out through my open study door
instead of against the wall -
if he ever felt like defying his sculptor

copyright © FVO 1999