– sixteen, counting the baby –
are planting cushioned feet on the white lines 
in the road, and making all the traffic stop.

We must pause our getting and spending,
look away from our screens,
stand still and quiet, close enough
to touch their grey swaying bulk,
to smell the leather of their skin, 
to meet their eyes. 

One will reach over my garden wall, 
extend a thoughtful trunk, and hoick a fuchsia 
or a choice choisya clean out of the ground, roots and all,
and place it in her mouth.

And we will wait while the elephants 
slow-swing past us in their own good time,
custodians of memories,
removers of obstacles, 
towering dusty goddesses.

Jane Pearn

Jane Pearn lives in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders. Her work has appeared in magazines including Ink, Sweat & Tears, Brittle Star, Under the Radar, and Spelt. She was long-listed in the 2021 Rialto Nature and Place competition and has two published poetry collections. Facebook @JanePearnPoetryetc

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