AFP Photo File
MALI
by Pablo A. Tariman
a strain of Shostakovich
and you remember
a daughter and son in law
figuring out
what’s left of their
abridged lives
behind bars
yes loved ones
come and go
like this elephant
which gave my grandson
a few moments
of awe and joy
the first time he set foot
in a zoo
the elephant named Mali
is gone too
like my grandson’s childhood
now buried in images
of prison visits
and yearly funerals