Our Wrought

The day came

when the elephant

crowding the cabin corners

demanded

a name

he said the words

I knew

from before 

we were born

cruel needful words

proclaimed

in halting hushtones

of calm agony

a slag-filled agony

 too fibrous

and exhausted

to push further

just one more 

push

against

the edge

of what we had

become

trust

gnarled and twisted

rusted

and

beaten

into shape

until the weight of us

cracked

and

crumbled

leaving

bone dust

beneath

the elephant's feet