#ILNUOTATORE

silent and strong he used to wake up every morning and work. and every night he silently fell asleep. he never caused any trouble. he was so strong that it seemed nothing could stop him. except in those brief moments when a gentle breeze unexpectedly came from afar. the only thing that could make him waver. it lifted him and made him fly back to where he was born. to that place beyond the sea. and only when the gentle breeze had gone. when he didn’t dare open his eyes yet. a few tears slipped with him into reality. only a few people can interpret the silence. can properly listen to what the wind is saying. so one night they forgot to chain him. the following morning they only found the thousand sounds of that place. for an instant his owner believed he had simply imagined him. as if he had never existed. but anybody who could follow the wind would have found him swimming in the middle of the ocean. concentrated on the smells of his land that were getting closer and closer. with hope breaking that big silence at last.inspired by a true story, once seen on the news. I don’t remember when exactly. I don’t remember where exactly. but the image of that elephant swimming in the ocean back home was so beautiful and intense that it made me look for a book including a picture that could help me to keep it with me all the time and never forget it.