A Life of Wonder

Elephants followed her everywhere she went.

When she danced, they danced.

When she lay on the earth, they lay next to her.

At night she disappeared into still lake and in the morning surfaced again, laughing at me.

“I’m no a goddess,” she assured me, “I’m just your ordinary Lotus girl—flowering on the outside and mud in my veins.”

I had no charm then. We both knew it.

I dreamed of dazzling her, so I bought tickets to the circus and invited her along.

“Do you think I want to watch animals cooing for our pleasure?”

She was angry, furious, and forbid me from watching her dance with the elephants.

“If you want to impress me,” she said emerging from the lake one morning, don’t follow me.

I haven’t see her since that night.