On Hearing that Flora the Elephant has Retired from the Circus
I’ve been asked to write a poem for Circus Flora. Flora is the eponymous African elephant, now in retirement. Here’s my first try:
Tanka For Flora
Now in retirement
Flora contemplates her life —
the circus — the kids —
she recalls Africa and
knows somewhere — somewhere out there —
An assignment like this brings out the playful side of writers. When I told my friend Arnie Schnegel about it, he immediately sent me these two delightful poems:
Circus Flora
Flora, the elephant,
Is quite the dancer.
In her tutu she looks
Quite fancier.
Circus Flora has gone
Into retirement.
Now she can wear
Simpler attirement.
Naming the Elephant
Flora, Flora,
Quite contrary,
Why didn’t they
Name you Mary?
And when Phoebe Cirio, my love, saw Arnie’s poems, she came up with this one, the best of the lot:
There once was an elephant named Flora
Who liked to dance the hora
Away she did go
No longer with the show
But we do still adore her
_____