"lifespan" poems - Hello Poetry

Reinaldo was the name they gave the great white elephant Who came to clear the jungles around Sao Paulo A clever notion that because Reinaldo was born in the jungle Any jungle would do just fine, Brazilian or Siamese made no difference Just as clever was the notion that because I was a black man, educated I would do just fine directing other black men to do work, English or Portuguese made no difference Was I truly so much a fool, twice over? Reinaldo occasionally was afflicted with slothfulness Some of the men thought it was from lack of **** and whip I was of a mind that it was due to lack of companionship It was costly enough to ship one giant beast across a great sea I left a wife, in Maryland, whom I never loved and who never loved me I admit before the plan was in motion I never considered that Reinaldo could have a family Sometimes, I wonder, did he have a wife who never loved him? Loneliness became a common theme in our new home away from home And Reinaldo and I became friends, at least I thought of him fondly As far as I could say, of all the men he responded best to me At times it seemed a load of lumber was hauled as a personal favor For the handler too soft to handle with fear and anger But as much as loneliness was a theme, so was change, and death The lifespan of an elephant compares to the lifespan of men Were this scheme of mine to have worked as desired I could have sent for a cow, and made Reinaldo a sire Soon it was revealed that slothfulness was a symptom of an elephant young, healthy and wise Who sensed not his own, but a friend's imminent demise Now I am left to wonder how Reinaldo will fare in a world stranger than I could have known His softest handler and only friend bedridden, waiting for my disease to take its final toll

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Jul 29, 2018

Jul 29, 2018 at 6:28 PM UTC

TBDentz

Reinaldo

Reinaldo was the name they gave the great white elephant Who came to clear the jungles around Sao Paulo A clever notion that because Reinaldo was born in the jungle Any jungle would do just fine, Brazilian or Siamese made no difference Just as clever was the notion that because I was a black man, educated I would do just fine directing other black men to do work, English or Portuguese made no difference Was I truly so much a fool, twice over? Reinaldo occasionally was afflicted with slothfulness Some of the men thought it was from lack of **** and whip I was of a mind that it was due to lack of companionship It was costly enough to ship one giant beast across a great sea I left a wife, in Maryland, whom I never loved and who never loved me I admit before the plan was in motion I never considered that Reinaldo could have a family Sometimes, I wonder, did he have a wife who never loved him? Loneliness became a common theme in our new home away from home And Reinaldo and I became friends, at least I thought of him fondly As far as I could say, of all the men he responded best to me At times it seemed a load of lumber was hauled as a personal favor For the handler too soft to handle with fear and anger But as much as loneliness was a theme, so was change, and death The lifespan of an elephant compares to the lifespan of men Were this scheme of mine to have worked as desired I could have sent for a cow, and made Reinaldo a sire Soon it was revealed that slothfulness was a symptom of an elephant young, healthy and wise Who sensed not his own, but a friend's imminent demise Now I am left to wonder how Reinaldo will fare in a world stranger than I could have known His softest handler and only friend bedridden, waiting for my disease to take its final toll