substance P

the Pachyderm in a room full of sandglass.

each of the shelves throughout the room is graced
with beauty shaped by wild, passionate fire.
the poor elephant, meaning well, reaches out
her trunk to touch one. It shatters to the floo,
tinkling echoing in her fan-like ears.
Her heart seemed to break with it.
"Always and ever I am in this place.
Always I try to touch beauty,
ever it shatters."
Unexpected lights turn on,
a man walks into the room.
"Well, more pieces for my project!"
the pachyderm cocks her head to one side,
upsetting yet another bowl.
The man smiles broadly, producing a basket.
"Come, my dear! Come and see my project!"
"But always and ever I destroy beauty.
I'd rather not go."
"Oh but you must. You're an essential part of it!"
She followed him into a room.
The shards! The shards!
See how they dangle from invisible
lines from the ceiling!
See the lights! The lights!
The refracted light splintering on the walls!
"You stand in the center!"
She pushed past the hanging glass,
to stand in the center.
Concentric rings, rings, rings,
rings! The glass sang as it tinkled against each other.
She shut her eyes.
silence

surrounded by broken light,
stands a pachyderm in a room of glass,
and she was beautiful.