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My Pet Elephant

I keep an elephant for a pet.
He is big and he is loud,
I feed him, groom him,
and comfort him when he’s upset
When my elephant is content,
he is happy and makes no sound.
 
My house is cozy, but small and cramped.
My elephant sometimes feels trapped,
but we get by
Because my elephant has me,
and I keep an elephant for a pet.
 
Things here are not perfect,
but I still invite you in for tea.
 
After we have exchanged pleasantries,
you start making all of your demands.
You’ve only just shaken my hand,
you haven’t met my elephant,
and out of consideration
I listen to what you have to say.
 
You give me the gospel truth,
you know exactly what I am doing wrong.
You do not like what I listen to,
you tell me what should be my favourite song.
Then come your demands,
new ways to consume my energy and time,
my shy elephant retreats out of sight,
he’s worried I might accept your guidance,
and I hear him stirring with fright.
 
I tell you I like astrology,
so you tell me you have just the fix for me–
and you hand me a book on mechanics.
I inform you that I’m thinking about the future,
and you stress the importance of history.
As you try to make your truths my own,
my elephant is in the dark, lonely and sad
while we both ignore his cries.
You demand I conform to your expectations,
You want me to make you my center,
be the sole aspect of my journey through life–
and you are fixated on telling me what’s right.
 
Do you want to be my new elephant,
is that what this is all about?
But I am not unhappy with my pet,
I don’t want to kick him out.
 
You don’t know what I have to care for,
so this demand of yours is rather unjust.
I truly love my elephant,
and after all this time and effort
I won’t just abandon his love and his trust.
 
I only asked you in for tea,
to exchange a pleasantry or two,
but you’re trying to compromise me,
and I can’t handle that.
I don’t need all of your figures and facts
having knowledge doesn’t mean you know.
 
I know you just arrived,
but you should be leaving soon.
Because you ignore my pet elephant
in the center of this room.

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