on the other side of the square, or so. there was happy noise outside of the gate, a large crowd of children was trying to pet the elephants who had arrived in the town square. they were large and patient animals, their trunks gently stroking the hair of those without hats. it was apparently not the first time they were surrounded by so many tiny people. in a dirty doorway on the other side of the square, sitting on old chairs and boxes, we tried to make sense of the spectacle. a friend came by with a piece of meat so large that he attached it to himself with a rope pulled through it and over his shoulder and neck. a part of the raw red lump was still resting on the ground. there were beautiful red textures in the meat, openings, glossy patches of red liquid. "we have been eating on this for more than a week now," he smiled. i just now saw that he was carrying three quarters of an elephant heart. i think i need to water the plants.