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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
ELEPHANT GODS, by CHARLES FRANCIS RICHTER First Line: There is a chinese cult of mystery Last Line: The good man used it for a paper-weight. | |||
There is a Chinese cult of mystery Whose god is elephantine, monstrous, weird. Carved out of wood or stone, the deity Is everywhere, and everywhere is feared. The rumor goes that one who knows the spell Can make the household elephants bring death, Or open all the shrieking doors to hell, Or blast the city with a poison breath. Those who have not the secret do not dare To cast these idols out; the ritual curse Is worded strongly, so they choose to bear The present danger, nor to risk the worse. I saw one on a preacher's desk of late -- The good man used it for a paper-weight. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...OFF THE COURSE by CHARLES FRANCIS RICHTER THE UPAS TREE by CHARLES FRANCIS RICHTER A POET'S WELCOME TO HIS LOVE-BEGOTTEN DAUGHTER by ROBERT BURNS TO A SKYLARK by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY THE TEARS OF THE POPLARS by EDITH MATILDA THOMAS |
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