I am lucky to receive an annual art mailing from someone each Earth Day. This year the theme was elephants.
I have always loved elephants and feel a kindred sadness with them. Their annihilation is particularly heartbreaking especially since they form deep relationships with their mates and herd. When I first moved to Portland from Minneapolis, prior to becoming the female half of The Pre-Dirt Farmer, I went to the Oregon zoo and naively walked into the volunteer office, explained I loved elephants and wanted to work with them somehow. The woman behind the counter said very authoritatively, "No one volunteers with the Big Boys." I tucked my thoughts on elephants in my back pocket, temporarily.
After reading more about elephants from my friend's art mailer, I was delighted by the fables that elephants had wings at one time but they were so heavy bodied that they fell out of the sky and scared other animals. One fable has them renouncing their wings to settle on Earth, and when they did, millions of wings fell to the ground, the snow covered them and that is how the Himalayas were formed.
If donkey wings formed Mountains there, I'm sure some floated West. Everything floats West sooner or later. I've convinced myself that the slopes of both Donkey Hill and Muddy Hill are the result of fallen elephant wings.
I know I can not have an elephant - for starters it would definitely go against the Apifera Animal Acquisition Law which has only been broken maybe once or twice...okay, I can't count how may times it's been broken. But if I can't have an elephant, I can call on elephants when I need extra guidance or compassion. The characteristics of elephants are much like a donkey- loyal, alert, compassion for the herd, long memory, trusting, longevity, and wisdom. Look into the eyes of an elephant or a donkey and there are old souls with stories.
I will sit on the hills and imagine the large wings under me, holding me up. My elephant will have four ears though, two being donkey like - imagine how big they would be - the thought of it pleases me greatly.
