- Ya (Arabic: ูุง), O; hey; you; vocative particle preceding a noun used in direct address
- Elephant (English): a mammal and the largest existing land animal, very conspicuous
I.
Ya-elephant, wherefore this room?
A poem, then, or-- p'raps too soon?
No job in sight; the crush of debt;
Ya-elephant doth sit and fret,
And yet...
Ya-elephant, wherefore such pain?
It's doubt that's in her way again
Ya-elephant cannot forget
Mistakes of old; in those she's set
And yet...
Ya-elephant, wherefore worry?
Such soul; such heart; why can't she see?
Now looms that leering silhouette-
He calls- but she must not abet...
And yet...
Anxiety, a stubborn beau-
He's one Ya-elephant well knows-
He beckons dance their old duet;
Join me- we'll earn the prized rosette...
II.
She's dancing, twirling 'round the room
Alone but for her grinning groom
Squinting through heavy rising brume
High ballroom walls like fated tomb
Her happiness- was she predoomed?
She twirls- She gasps- You dared presume!
Lets loose long locks- It... It... was you!
A silver flash by moon illumed-
A hack- a heave- dark dribbling grume-
For whom this tomb? Indeed-
for whom?
d’Verse Open Link Night #323
I’m sharing this poem for OLN #323; it’s one that I wrote back in June ’20, very shortly after launching The Skeptic’s Kaddish and getting into poetry writing.
A friend of mine named Yael had lost her job due to major anxiety issues, and she was on my mind a great deal those days… This poem was inspired by and written for her. The ending is deliberately ambiguous, just as I felt it actually was in her situation.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
First of all, being fired because of anxiety sounds terrible… I wonder if the job might have been the cause maybe. Then I really love the way you used the elephant in this.
๐๐๐ป Bjรถrn ๐๐ป๐
Fantastic writing here, David!! ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ
๐๐๐ป Sanaa ๐๐ป๐
Beautiful write, David ๐ I hope Yael is well now. Blessings! ๐
๐๐๐ป Tea ๐๐ป๐
I like everything about this David but particularly the inventiveness of the form and language and rhyme..JIM
๐๐๐ป Jim ๐๐ป๐
All this worry
Always all this anxiety
Life is just hardly happy ‘ go’ lucky
Large in memory
So true, the elephant never forgets
She frets and banks anxiety.
But i must confess I don’t comprehend the end.
well, the ending is deliberately ambiguous – who gets the better of whom? Who comes out on top? Anxiety or my friend Yael?
Ah, that is a good tip.
It’s difficult to say then.
Excellent.
๐๐๐ป Molly ๐๐ป๐
I felt it was anxiety-ridden before I read your explanation, David. Very well expressed, and the repetitions are fantastic.
๐๐๐ป Dolly ๐๐ป๐
This had a mythical essence, like unto a fable, a tale larger than the characters โ I felt drawn in David, I believe to a battle of emotion โ I know not how to hold an outcome โ but I hope it is vzluant!
โค๏ธ๐๐ป Rob ๐๐ปโค๏ธ
An intricate dance indeed. I love the flow of the words – and the repetition reinforces the tone.
๐๐๐ป Muri ๐๐ป๐
David, anxiety is a difficult beast to deal with. I hope your friend can find some peace.
๐ Lauren ๐ ~ me too, thank you
Wonderful structuring and story. Tragic outcomes unfortunately confirm anxieties sometimes. Not sure if my reading is spot on, but I feel for her.
โค Angela โค ~ thanks. Hers has been a challenging story, which continues even today ๐ฆ
~David
Ah, the long way โround: hopes for positive conclusion and forward momentum ๐
thanks โค
I like the way you incorporated the various sayings about elephants, a pleasurable read.
โค๏ธ Oloriel โค๏ธ ~ thanks