Don’t think about the pink elephant
Dammit!
Being told not to is one thing
Deciding you won’t is entirely another
I must not think about the pink elephant
I simply don’t have time
I’ve got plenty to work on, Lord knows
I really don’t have the time
Not until January at least
When I’m doing a little less
But here I am in August
Daydreaming
How is it that just weeks ago I was fine?
Recovering, maybe, from last time
But now they’re everywhere
Pink elephants
Probably because I told myself not to bother
No surer way to make it so
Suddenly they appear at every turn
How did I miss them before?
A week ago I saw one
Making eyes at another guy
I briefly wanted to kill him
But I spun on my heel and there is another
I need to focus
Or I'll start dropping classes
I realize I haven’t been praying
God, this is miserable
But in January I’ll be done
No more classes
No more volunteering for a while
Just work
And I’m afraid there won’t be any more
Pink elephants
oh no I said as the mouse came flying down
he landed on his petootsie, a show-off clown
the rest of the party began to laugh
except for a screamer which was the giraffe
I did not realize giraffes were afraid of mice
but this one ran off before we had eaten our rice
It was the first course, so he truly missed out.
He’s kind of a chicken said an elephant prancing about.
Proof you cannot generalize giraffes or elephants, right?
I learned this lesson well on this fabulous night.
the mouse was dancing his feet off, tapping out a tune.
It was a terrific party by the light of the moon.
Intelligent
are elephants,
not negligent.
African herds
are killed for tusks -
cruelty loud heard.
Asian giants
lost habitat
to growth tyrants.
Family styled,
elephant hearts
are love compiled.
Despite great strength
they gently love
their long-life length.
Stop evil shoots,
grant living space,
and pray peace roots.
When two elephants fight; it is the grass that suffers-but when they make peace,the earth blooms again-African Proverb
You think he drinks for pleasure.
You think the foam on his lips
is the laughter of the reckless
But his throat burns with the taste of worry-
each swallow a coin he saved
To keep the children fed,
each sigh a promise that no one hears.
You think he wanders the streets for joy,
but he is walking off the noise of failure,
counting his steps against the rent.
And you,
your hands are tired of forgiving,
your heart a house half full,
your voice sharp with waiting.
Two storms meet,
lightning answering lightning,
but neither sees the rain that falls
to heal the same dry soil,
Love is not a saint-
it is a worker in overalls,
who keeps patching the roof
while thunder mocks
You say men will never change.
He says,love never leaves.
And somewhere between the two,
the night forgives the dawn
Twas the funniest sight
Saw an elephant dance
Wearing a frilly green dress
Without any pants
A crowd gathered round
To take in the sight
Some squirrels and penguins
And hippos on bikes
A bunch of silly monkeys
Wearing polka dot ties
Were joking with tigers
Wearing shades for disguise
What a glorious scene
They were all having fun
Taught us all a great lesson
To love everyone
No matter our colour
Or the size of our brawn
Everyone's our brother
So let's all get along
Saw the happiest thing
At a party last night
All the creatures were happy
What a beautiful sight!
Twas the funniest sight
Saw an elephant dance
Wearing a frilly green dress
Without any pants
A crowd gathered round
To take in the sight
Some squirrels and penguins
And hippos on bikes
A bunch of silly monkeys
Wearing polka dot ties
Were joking with tigers
Wearing shades for disguise
What a glorious scene
They were all having fun
Taught us all a great lesson
To love everyone
No matter our colour
Or the size of our brawn
Everyone's our brother
So let's all get along
Saw the happiest thing
At a party last night
All creatures were happy
What a beautiful sight!
"To the White House he strode," sang his choir,
The elephants sparked a dumpster fire,
His words became its fuel,
Deceit was his tool,
While the donkeys cried foul: "He's a liar."
We need no DC to know all these things,
Just stamp your ear on the bald eagle’s wings.
You’ll see Iran sneezing;
And Israel pleasing,
Not too far away Gaza's sorrow rings.
Red Maple touted as the fifty-first.
PM as guvnor, a joke just nursed.
Donald talk’s just full of scare,
Yet Putin listens with care,
With the hope that the North's missiles won’t burst.
Troops in Damascus prepare to leave,
Trump's friend in Istanbul made Assad grieve.
To Moscow he fled,
In his tower he read,
The joy of this win, he wears on his sleeve.
They burnt tons of tusks
But the felled beasts
Remained silent still
In the spirit realm
Watching the fire slowly
Consume pieces of themselves
Waiting quietly
In that realm
Where their glorious trumping
Is not perceptible to the living
Waiting patiently
For their brothers, sisters
Sons, daughters and
Pieces of themselves
To join them
In the silence of the spirits
Dactyls are metrical
Feet that are named after
Fingers with three little
Parts like the knuckles that
Lie in a pattern of
Stress like these sentences:
'Jealously murmuring
Elephants quietly
Sob in their handkerchiefs.'
Feet that are fingers -
How odd!
Earthquake was talking with my world.
But my world not respond yet.
Still now the dust still running all over my world.
All grass still admitted due to high wounds they got during fighting.
Oh am tired fighting with my own dream everyday.
Oh am really tired watching my beautiful dream I can not touch.
Oh am tired watching my own heart crying because of fighting between me and my dream.
Oh am asking myself one question.
When this movie am watching will end.
is an elephant's trunk a nose or a hand?
Wanting to find out I traveled to Africa land.
One of the elephants used his trunk to wave at me.
Saw another wipe his trunk against his sleeve.
Female utilized her trunk to take a river drink.
Now I am consternated, do not know what to think.
In the liveliest REM stage of his night
Bert beholds an unusual sight.
A troupe of pink elephants sound a trumpet blast
Then stomp united towards the grass.
On the other side, a team of tall strong guys
March to the pitch with focussed eyes.
"I'll be the goalie!' Dan told Bert.
'I'm least likely to get hurt."
Bert referees. His reminder the same,
"The joy's in the play, not winning the game."
At half time, a call is heard from Phil.
"How have the elephants scored two nil?
It's not right. It makes no sense...
Football's not for elephants!"
The guys huddle up and devise a plan
To catch as many mice as they can.
When the teams take position on the green
A commotion begins. A chaotic scene!
The elephants pale to white as a goose
When all the mice have been let loose.
The guys score goals before the mice disappear
The elephants play on, when free from fear.
Bert awakens amazed and confused.
He starts to laugh, feeling quite amused.
He answers the question written on Suzanne's face.
He fills her in on the match that took place.
Bringing branches with their trunks, they start their festival with glee
Swinging silent bells at the pearl sailing in the night sky
Flinging away darkness and dirt, for light to finally see
Singing pearls in the branches, pray to the divine up high
Praying to the ship of fourteen gates filled with splendorous light
Begging the pearl-gathering angels to help them ascend
Entreating the Maiden of Light to continue the long fight
Worshipping Jesus the Splendour, the lord and gleeful friend
Inspired by Pliny the Elder's account of elephants worshipinng the moon with branches, while incorporating Manichaean beliefs about the moon.
baby elephants stay with their mothers their whole lives
they follow them for miles,
hiding in the maternal shade
of large, floppy ears,
perfect for listening to their cries.
so why, mom, did you leave your baby,
even after hearing my cries.
you came back,
left again,
came back,.
such a confusing cycle
for such a young elephant.
baby elephants learn from their mothers.
how to use their trunks,
how to climb out of ditches across the lands,
so why, mom, did you leave me in that ditch alone.
you came back for me,
you did,
but not before i learned to climb out myself.
baby elephants stay in their herds for life,
with their mothers,
they walk as long as their legs will take them,
the herd does not leave them behind,
their mothers make sure of that.
so why, mom,
did you let me walk alone,
no one to teach me,
that walking alone for so long,
takes such a grand toll on my legs.
baby elephants love their mothers,
and their mothers would
do anything,
anything at all,
for their babies.
protect them,
feed them,
watch them sleep.
so why, mom, did you do everything
but love me.
The dastardly leopard held off when he saw enormous elephant prince.
He is dressed in such splendor and is regal in ways of the lion he thought.
Blue and gold elephant shook his head out of the trees, a good rinse.
Wonder what my messenger has to say, wonder what he has brought.
Leopard, puma and zebra are awaiting your instructions in the trees.
Messenger stood by, pen in hand, ready to write the prince’s decrees.
Let them enter the throne room, he told his servant. I will feed them.
But they were so overwhelmed by his offer, they ran, for all were dim.
A cardinal with feathers of red is waiting to find what your will is.
She is drinking from the fountain, but it is off, and gives a bit of a fizz.
Let her know that she may enter the throne room and dine with me.
The cardinal was excited, and happy, a wise little she.
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.