Tell Me, the Elephant Said

Humanity on trial

Tell Me, Said the Elephant

38

The elephant king
had a secret meeting
with the new animal parliament.

And declared
that it was time
to tell the world,

The time of humanity’s
reign of terror
Must come to an end.

They held an emergency
world summit of animals
and put humanity on trial.

“Tell me,” said the elephant king,
“about the crimes of humanity.”

The tiger led the prosecution
and laid out the crimes
of humanity.

The event was live-streamed
from an undisclosed location
for “security reasons.”

The cat, dog, and horse representatives
were the defense.

They spoke up and said:

“Most humans were decent and kind—
it was the system they blamed.”

Animals around the world,
after a meteor shower,

woke up and followed the parliament
through telepathic powers.

The verdict:

F
ive years probation
And animals had to be given
Full legal rights.

Thus ended the first trial
of humanity—
with a reprieve.

Criteria

New Prompt:

Use the first lyric line of The Elephant's Song - by Kamahl as your title: Tell me, said the Elephant...

The story or poem you are writing should be different from the song text - I am curious what the Elephant would want you to write.

The Elephant Song

Tell me said the elephant
Tell me, brothers, if you can
Why all the world is full of creatures

Yet we grow in fear of man
Tell me said the elephant

Tell me why this has to be
We have to run from man and hunter

Never safe and never free

Refrain:

-people kill without regret
Although they fly by jumbo-jet

Let the word all may remember
Let the children not forget

Gentle is the elephant
Pulling loads and everything

We love to hear the children laughing
When we're in the circus ring

Happy was the elephant
Happy was his jungle life

And then they came, the cruel hunters
With their rifle and their knives

Refrain:...

Listen, please listen, said the elephant
If we want the world we know to stay alive

Then, man and beast, we must work together
And together we will survive

Listen said the elephant
It is conservation time

So take the warning when we trumpet
For the future of mankind
Refrain..