The muse came this morning as I remember my indigenous mother, sister of Ban Don's last Elephant King, and daughter of the legendary Ama Krong, Elephant King and peacemaker. Their tombs will probably outlive the wild elephants and their tropical dry forests, whose leaves are now turning to brilliant shades of red and orange. This poem is for my family, friends and the elephants they love.
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| Tombs of Elephant Kings in Vietnam. Photo ©Elizabeth Kemf |
Remember Who You Are
©By Elizabeth Kemf
Each
day spend time
with yourself,
recalling
your dreams.
Your
visions will remind you
of
who you are.
Beneath
my computer
rests
a manuscript, written in my baby's blood
and
my husband’s tears.
His
mother’s stories,
intertwined
in my life,
stare
at me from my desk.
.
Each
dawn
beliefs, fought for and defended with
passion
beg
me to give them life,
before
the memories of the Elephant Kings
and
their real rulers, strong-willed women,
and
their mothers’ myths
disappear
into lost languages and rituals,
taking
their children, their land, their dignity,
and
their legacy
to
their royal tombs.
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