baby elephants - a letter to my mother
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.
Copyright ©
Oliver Chu
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