the sacred white elephant

by Stephen A. Rozwenc

the sacred white elephant
charges up
the tousled green mountainside
with a tiny sliver
of Buddha relic bone
tightly clutched
in his trunk tip
 
his sole purpose
to collapse
and die on the sheerest cliff
to signify
where a temple should be built
 
fashioned
from the millions of voices
in the world
crying out for peace