Elephant Talks to God (10 page)

“No.”

“But there is only one of you.”

“As far as I know,” God chuckled.

“Then how can you not be lonely?”

“I have nothing to be lonely for,” answered God. “Unlike you, who are one of many and thus can have the concept of being lonely for your kind.”

“But being one of one should make you most lonely of all.”

“You walk to the stream of logic, but you stop when your toenails are wet.” The cloud shifted. “Being one of one makes me one with everything, which, in turn, makes everything one with me. Which is what I am.”

“All for one, and one for all,” suggested the elephant.

“All in one, and one in all,” corrected God.

“But that makes everything become everything.”

“Now you're catching on.”

“If I'm catching on, then my trunk is coming away empty.”

“Now you're really catching on.” The cloud started to drift away.

“Am I going to have to drown in that stream of logic before I understand?” called the bemused elephant.

“Swim deeper.” God's voice offered a challenge. “Find out.”

THE END

To family close in blood and spirit. The former for their material assistance; the latter for whispering ‘elephant' into my ear.

To the literary Salon — a vintage conveyance which purrs right along, honking at distant puns.

To Inez, who demands to see elephants as she demands to see unicorns.

To John Timmins, who out-punned God himself.

To RJ, whispering sweet corrections as she goes.

To Leona, nearest thy God than we.

And to Goose Lane, for entering the jungle once again.