Pansies (Lawrence)/The Elephant is Slow to Mate—

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THE ELEPHANT IS SLOW TO MATE———
The elephant, the huge old beast   is slow to mate;he finds a female, they show no haste   they wait
for the sympathy in their vast shy hearts   slowly, slowly to rouseas they loiter along the river-beds   and drink and browse
and dash in panic through the brake   of forest with the herd, ​and sleep in massive silence, and wake   together, without a word.
So slowly the great hot elephant hearts   grow full of desire,and the great beasts mate in secret at last,   hiding their fire.
Oldest they are and the wisest of beasts   so they know at lasthow to wait for the loneliest of feasts   for the full repast.
They do not snatch, they do not tear;   their massive bloodmoves as the moon-tides, near, more near   till they touch in flood.

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