Death by Elephant
Roger Camp
Straddling the Kerala highway
our Ambassador’s beetle green roof pales
against the chlorophyll jungle
across the road, firecrackers explode
blessings for Vishnu.
Our trembling rearview mirrors a pachyderm
fast approaching, confirming things are closer
than they appear.
Resigned to a trampling, I turn to photograph
death by elephant.
An elephantine shuffle sidesteps the car
a trunkful of fronds sweeping the roof
as I release the shutter.
Editing the images
I see a shaken frame within a frame
a blurred rear window smeared palm green.
About the Author
Roger Camp lives in Seal Beach, CA where he muses over his orchids, walks the pier, plays blues piano and spends afternoons reading under an Angel’s Trumpet with a charm of hummingbirds. When he’s not at home, he’s photographing in the Old World. His work has appeared in Spillway, Slant, North American Review, Pank, Southern Poetry Review, and Nimrod.