The Very Last Elephant

They both smiled, although only the man’s was visible They both knew that the moment to come, had to come The hair-dryer air killed the sweat, which helped the man see better And the skin of the object of his desire Dust laden and grey Breathed dry. When the breeze began to cool The man looked down the barrel And loved the last elephant ever to live As he slowly squeezed the trigger. The echo skidded around the valley For at least a lifetime of heartbeats A lake of blood, water-falled out his ear And then he was silent, midst the fading roar. When silence returned, the breeze stopped And he stared for a long, long time. He moved towards the body, and he blinked As he touched the body with his tusks, and walked away, His trunk sniffing the fading love, and sadness in the air.