I sing to elephants. It’s what I do. I sing because I like to, and because I believe my elephant neighbours are comfortable in my singing presence. I sing all the time, and it’s when I sing that I know more precisely how I feel. My own speech never does justice to my thoughts and emotions: always a little clumsy and coarse, somehow inadequate, and inexpressive.

It’s different when I sing. My utterances are more in tune with my intentions.

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Illustrations by Meenakshi Subramaniam

First published in Earthlines issue 16