Hurrah for Thunder

Whatever happened to the elephant — / Hurrah for thunder — // The elephant, tetrarch of the jungle: / With a wave of the hand / He could pull four trees to the ground; / His four mortar legs pounded the earth: / Wherever they treaded, / The grass was forbidden to be there. // Alas! the elephant has fallen — / Hurrah for thunder — // But already the hunters are talking about pumpkins: / If they share the meat let them remember thunder. // The eye that looks down will surely see the nose; / The finger that fits should be used to pick the nose. // Today — for tomorrow, today becomes yesterday: / How many million promises can ever fill a basket ... // If I don’t learn to shut my mouth I’ll soon go to hell, / I, Okigbo, town-crier, together with my iron bell.