The Elephant in the Living Room ~ A Poem

The Elephant in the Living Room ~ A Poem About the Things We Don't Talk About

There's an elephant in the living room,

Everyone knows it's there.

We all tiptoe around it,

And try not to stare.

There's an elephant in the living room,

No one knows what to say.

Maybe if we ignore it,

It'll just go away.

It’s an elephant with secrets,

The kind that everybody knows,

It is why we close the drapes,

It’s the prisoner that we chose.

There’s an elephant in the living room,

We call him many names,

Intolerance, ambivalence,

Fear, bigotry, and shame.

Maybe it's your auntie's cancer,

Or your big gay Uncle Al,

Your cousin who got pregnant

Before she spoke some vows.

Maybe your sister runs around,

Or your father likes his booze.

Or maybe, just maybe,

That elephant is you.

What if, one wonderous day,

That elephant made some noise?

A trumpeting so loud that,

Maybe then we'd have no choice,

But to talk about our differences,

Our worries, doubts and fears.

Then that elephant who'd grown so large,

Might just disappear.

© Sarah Ultis and Bryon Robichaud 2011