I rode upon an elephant
By name of Raja Khan
His pedigree was excellent
The pride of Pakistan
In stature he was solid
A figure fine and firm
As strong as he was stolid
An impressive pachyderm
Aloof and somewhat nervous
He earned his reputation
Through dedicated service
To palace transportation
. With careful stride and gentle sway
. He set the pace of a yesterday.

© Tim Grace, 10 May 2010

To the reader: I imagine days of empire being stiff as starch; stodgy. Stifled by establishment that imposed upon the underclassses rigid rules and regulations designed to further entrench the advantages of birth and social position. But, attached to my construction of the past is a stolid image best portrayed by the permanence of a slow moving pachyderm. In the elephant’s gentle sway I see remnants of a yesterday when circumspect rhythms gave poise to forward motions.

To the poet: A simple little poem, neat and compact; some might say trite. A parlor painting lost of real significance but nonetheless holding its place on the wall as it has done for many generations. The very short lines are packed with alliteration and because of brevity tend to over emphasize the forced rhymings. In an attempt to help the narrative flow unbroken through the sonnet I’ve given it no punctuation … save the final period.

careful stride