I glanced at the mirror
When I was in the shower
When I was making love
When I was in my exercise class
The relatively surprised me
I didn’t see the lithe gazelle
With its strength and form
I saw the Amazonian warrior
With her strength and prowess
The comparison brought up shame
The idea that we should all look the same
Be small, be thin, be lithe
I drove past a girl in the street
A big girl, a elephant girl
Not a gazelle girl
I drove past another
A gazelle with her bouncy high head ponytail bouncing as she pranced
Aversion and attraction, attraction and aversion
My heart wanted to befriend and listen to the wisdom of the elephant, hear what secrets and stories were held within.
My heart is tired of listening to the gazelles to dictate the path and purpose of my steps through the jungles and across the Savannah’s of life and love.
I woke up in the bowl of the big mountain towering above me
My partnered gazelle asked me….
Do you think there were once elephants who lived here?
And my heart called out yes!
The extinction of the elephan
Yearns to be called back, to come home
Where we can lean into the wisdom of being warriors
The beauty and strength of being big.
"Elephant Girl" is a reponse to this poem written by Aloha Jacqueline.