Jean Valentine

27 April 1934 / Chicago, Ill

Ghost Elephants

In the elephant field tall green ghost elephants
with your cargo of summer leaves
at night I heard you breathing
at the window Don't you ever
think I'm not crying since
you're away from me
Don't ever think I went free
At first the goodbye had a lilt to it—
maybe just a couple of months—
but it was a beheading.
Ghost elephant,
reach down, cross me over—
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