Happy Birthday Masha!

Elephants need comfort too.
The larger you are, the longer it takes
To soothe the discomfort from your spine.

The backbone of the world needs
Just a Gentle stroke and a quiet
Hand to sooth away
The circus girls and the strain
Of balancing on a stool
When you weigh a ton
And your mom is in Africa
With all your aunts and uncles,
Wishing the Circus had not chosen you
For this particular event.
If only a child's touch could
Make it alright
And Bridge the distance
With a skinny arm.
And If those low stables looked more like home,
And this afternoon could last forever.
I would sit with you.