Aphelion Issue 299, Volume 28
October 2024
 
Editorial    
Long Fiction and Serials
Short Stories
Flash Fiction
Poetry
Features
Series
Archives
Submission Guidelines
Contact Us
Forum
Flash Writing Challenge
Forum
Dan's Promo Page
   

Dancing with an Elephant

by Amirah Al Wassif


Imagine there is a black elephant creeping on your jelly belly while you are taking a nap after a very long day. The elephant moves his glossy fingers trying to fish out some of your best memories.
You lay on your dear bed doing your best to keep breathing.
Imagine you try to touch his creamy eyelashes as a way to steal more songs from his chest. The huge animal agrees to make an unconditional deal with you.
You cower in a secret corner holding your colorful pen for drawing your masterpiece. The elephant feels shy. He directs all his energy into your artwork. Your soul window reveals more magic.
You play with the animal. Both of you wearing an eternal smile.
Imagine you decide to dance with your black elephant throwing jokes through his giant ears. The more you succeed in making him laugh, the more pleasure he gives.
Each of you climbs the highest candy mountain, you love the feeling.
You long badly to repeat the experience. You behave automatically without wondering what if the elephant got angry in the midst of the game?!


© 2024 Amirah Al Wassif

Amirah Al Wassif is an award-winning published poet. Their poetry collection "For Those Who Don’t Know Chocolate" was published in February 2019 by Poetic Justice Books & arts, and their illustrated children book: The Cocoa Boy and Other Stories was published in February 2020. Another poetry collection "to bury a curious girl" was published by Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company. Their poems have appeared in several prints and online publications including South Florida Poetry, Birmingham Arts Journal, Hawaii Review, The Meniscus, Chiron Review, The Hunger, Writers Resist, Right Now, and several other publications.

Find more by Amirah Al Wassif in the Author Index.