A Litany for Survival



A Litany for Survival
For A.L.


An elephant walked into my bedroom
reciting a litany for survival  
She spoke about her brown mother
and sister having died too many deaths
that were not their own 
She spoke about redemption
and a new religion
She spoke about winter people
taking off their blood masks
and monuments for the children of war
She spoke about hunger and blind feet
trying to find their way to the sun
She spoke about a greedy black unicorn
that was not free
She spoke about having two faces
and a frying pan to cook up her daughters
She spoke about two men with stone eyes
making love in the hallway
they were lying like felled maple
Soon the hallway was covered
with these beggars
and I couldn’t pass over them
Perhaps I wasn't meant to survive

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