The Elephant That Has Fallen Over

The elephant that has fallen over

is the last of the family of elephants

that Great Uncle Cyril

brought back

from Jaipur

in 1937.

We can see

how the ivory tusk has snapped

clean away from the ebony body

and

no

there is no glue

that can invisibly repair it.

We can note

how the ear has cracked

upon impacting the stones of the hearth

and the piece that has fallen away

has disappeared

somewhere

beneath the gas fire

in the fireplace.

We are aware

that this

the last elephant

in the family of six elephants

that Great Uncle Cedric

brought back

from Jodhpur

in 1939

is of course,

merely a thing

an object

an object of little intrinsic value

a mere and momentary

collaboration of molecules

formally arranged

in time

and space.

We will not cry

nor yet will we weep

for the object

we will simply

ponder upon it

think upon the time

it has been amongst us

We will cheerfully

cherish the memory

of our lost friend

and consign

his broken and battered

remains

to the all-consuming fire.

But...

may I just say that...

this

the largest of the eight elephants

in the family of elephants

that Great Uncle Collins

brought back from Pondicherry

in 1947

has successfully survived

seventy years

upon this shelf

even while its family have perished

until you

you

my dear boy

until you turned up

with you

infernal

Wii.

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