Elephant In The Dock

Pillary stocks at the gallows tree dock

The crowd grew impatient the clouds threatened rain

Elephant arrived at the constable's side

With her trunk locked in shackles, and her ankles in chains

[Bailiff]

All rise, all rise, his honor presides

The judge took the bench to the village brass cavalcade

Elephant refused to swear the oath

[Elephant]

I don't know anything about truth

But I know falsehood when I see it

And it looks like this whole world you've made

Good of our chaplain to sail kalispell bay

And now down on his marrow for this old fool to pray

Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love

To emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of

Trammels and rings, with the strength of old strings

And some hobble skirt spring, by the old problem caught

Children, sometimes I think all our thoughts are just things

And then sometimes think things are just thoughts

And the rabble rang

[Crowd]

Hang! The elephant must hang! The elephant must hang!

Hang! The elephant must hang! The elephant must hang!

[Elephant]

A thirteen coil knot for the samovar pot! Scottish oatcakes in haversacks each to its grave

This mock trial can no more determine my lot

Than can driftwood determine the ocean's waves

Brandish your ropes and your boards, and your basket-hilt swords

But what is there can punish like a conscience ignored?

Yes, my body did just as you implied

While some ghost we'll call 'I' idly watched through its eyes

And the jury sang

Hang! The elephant must hang! The elephant must hang!

Hang! The elephant must hang! The elephant must hang!

Hang! The elephant must hang! The elephant must hang!

Hang! The elephant must hang! The elephant must hang!

[Elephant]

I feel it stealing now

All adrift fathoms down