Walk in the Light
(1 John 1:7, KJV)

West African forest elephants
are walking up our street.

How they dance, calling us
to join them skipping, hopping,

twirling, spinning on their
elephant toes, pachyderm parade

waving us from our curtain-drawn
windows, peeping out, our feet

already daring dance steps
tripping out the door

into the light fantastic.
No “proud boasters.”

No “perjured tongue[s].”
Only the “humble and lowly.”*

Come, Little Ones.
Dance with the elephants

the West African dance:
Arms swing diagonal out and in.

Step and reach out right.
Step and reach out left.

Toe tap right. Press
palms to the sky.

Toe tap left. Press
palms to the ground.

Step right. Like wings, swing arms
out and in. Embrace your heart.

Step left. Wings out and in.
Embrace again.

*Zephaniah 3: 11-13, The Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday and Company, Inc. 1966.