D.H. Lawrence, 'The Elephant Is Slow To Mate'

[duathir.livejournal.com]

The Elephant is Slow to Mate

The elephant, the huge old beast,
is slow to mate;
he finds a female, they show no haste
they wait

for the sympathy in their vast shy hearts
slowly, slowly to rouse
as they loiter along the river-beds
and drink and browse

and dash in panic through the brake
of forest with the herd,
and sleep in massive silence, and wake
together, without a word.

So slowly the great hot elephant hearts
grow full of desire,
and the great beasts mate in secret at last,
hiding their fire.

Oldest they are and the wisest of beasts
so they know at last
how to wait for the loneliest of feasts
for the full repast.

They do not snatch, they do not tear;
their massive blood
moves as the moon-tides, near, more near
till they touch in flood.

by D. H. Lawrence

"Look at home", by Lily Oakley

[med_cat]

Originally posted by med_cat at "Look at home", by Lily Oakley

Poem by Lily Oakley, published in 'Sunday Reading for the Young' (1906)

(reposted from David Malcolmson‎, in the Poets Illustrated FB group)
( the poem in text format: )