For Little Mac On Her Passing Poem by Grant House

Photo of an interspecies encounter
April 30,2009
The elephant and me
She took those greens from my fingers
Her delicate trunk sliding across my uncertain outstretched hand
Those eyes
My oh my
I projected in her kindness and acceptance
It certainly seemed like it
I am sure gratitude was there
The touching, the tender greens
And some sort of mischief dancing in her eyes
An invitation
Now, ten years along
It's time for you to rest in peace, Little Mac
It's time for us to say, so long
You lost your "sister" Suzi a year ago
The gregarious one
You must have been very lonely
Missing her so
Where did she go
You asked everyone with that look
And yet
You faced forward
Made a go of it until
Something changed inside you
Things never were the same
Now, you have gone home too
Your life at the zoo
Such a gift to us all
And, in the end
All there may be to say
From these hearts you touched
To yours in life and in your passing
We loved you so very much
Thank you friend
At the end of the day
The amazing forty-eight year day
Making children smile and laugh in wonder
Astonished by your size
Your swishing all too little tail
Those great big feet
Adults like me returned to wonder like the children
So now we whisper so you'll hear us
We extend our hands with a fresh green treat
Thank you dear friend
Thank you for the life you lived
The mystery, the dignity, the playful shyness
You showed us how to be in the people zoo we live in every day
Kindness, yes I'm sure
It was gentle kindness and acceptance that you gave me
Kindness, acceptance, gratitude and dancing in those eyes
A marvelous mischievous invitation to all of us simply asking
If we might stay a little longer
Asking in the kindest gentlest way
Won't you please stay with me and play?