The Banyan Review: Connie Post, The Elephant in the Room

Connie Post

Bio: Connie Post served as the first Poet Laureate of Livermore, California . Her work has appeared in Calyx, River Styx, Spoon River Poetry Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review and Verse Daily. Her Awards include the Liakoura Award, and the Crab Creek Review Poetry Award . Her first full-length book, Floodwater, won the Lyrebird Award.  Her second full length collection, Prime Meridian, was released in January 2020 and was a finalist in the Best Book Awards

The Elephant in the Room

The elephant’s skinis no longer grayand at times seems, almost translucent
The elephant stares at the walljust ahead of himand has beenon a ventilatorfor years
The elephantunderstands the mercyof a “do not resuscitate” order
the elephanthas been transfusedwith a thousandversions of the same truth
the elephanthas been hypnotizedby the resident witch doctor
at times  I still rememberhow he first appeared to me, walking through the wallinto my bedroomwhen I was twelve 
on nights when everythingis pitch darkand the emergency generator is deadI walk down the hallwayand sit by his side

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