Elephant Ears Missing Poem by Heather Whitley Gibson

he smell himself, his shelling skin
molting snake, lashed, drying stems
swollen morning, eyes, crusted gems
rose colored cake, half mooned, stars pinned

rolling pins racing,
the icing, butter churned race
where mercury melts, small signature slips
where blood once flowed, and flies bit
his elephant ears missing

bloated and salted, Wednesday sun
an outpost, a harpoon sky
rebuilds a break, tattoo revised
stolen poems

watery lines, diseases left out
re-tuned river chimes,
one slow guitar,
words undone, time dawned domain
his elephant ears missing

a sewed costume, a hanging spoon
what an elephant hears

roles renamed, fingers shared hands
so brittle they play, together disbanned
the licensed, and unarranged
missing elephant ears

hovering, in post pone rain
breath cradled, the pro paned pain
thickness of snow, moaned and moved
a final bellow, woven papoose
elephant ears missing

the unforeseen, folded and creased
the tide rips and ivory sails release
what an elephant hears
soft as a paper boat
tips,

what an elephant hears