A photo of the late alpaca named Geronimo‘Geronimo the Alpaca – In Memoriam’ by Paul A. Freeman The Society October 11, 2021 Culture, Humor, Poetry, Rondeau 3 Comments . read about Geronimo here Geronimo! That is my name; I’ve garnered international fame because I haven’t got TB, or have I? That’s the quandary which has become a running game. Results of skin tests say the same, both positive, but many claim false-positives apply to me, Geronimo! Protesters round my paddock blame the government, they say it’s lame for not researching properly alpacas such as I to see if they should snuff my mortal flame. Geronimo! . . Paul A. Freeman is the author of Rumours of Ophir, a crime novel which was taught in Zimbabwean high schools and has been translated into German. In addition to having two novels, a children’s book and an 18,000-word narrative poem (Robin Hood and Friar Tuck: Zombie Killers!) commercially published, Paul is the author of hundreds of published short stories, poems and articles. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 3 Responses Margaret Coats October 12, 2021 Paul, thanks for this poem about a handsome, life-loving animal who clearly fell victim to bureaucracy. Whatever his state of health, he encountered the faceless corporate entity into which human and humanitarian motives easily devolve. Couldn’t questionable skin tests have been followed by a physical examination BEFORE Geronimo’s death? Couldn’t executioners have administered a tranquilizer before moving him? That is standard veterinary practice. In the poem, I like “running game,” especially after seeing the news video. Near the end, I would say “such as me” because the pronoun stands in apposition to “alpacas,” the direct object of “researching.” And “me” adds an internal rhyme! Reply Paul Freeman October 12, 2021 Thanks for the informed comments, Margaret. It was a shame what happened to Geronimo. Stories like this tend to grip the UK when there’s little serious news, thus making Geronimo an international celebrity until he met his fate. Reply Margaret Coats October 12, 2021 I forgot to mention that “Geronimo the Alpaca” resonates rhythmically with the ferocious and elusive namesake, “Geronimo the Apache.” Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Margaret Coats October 12, 2021 Paul, thanks for this poem about a handsome, life-loving animal who clearly fell victim to bureaucracy. Whatever his state of health, he encountered the faceless corporate entity into which human and humanitarian motives easily devolve. Couldn’t questionable skin tests have been followed by a physical examination BEFORE Geronimo’s death? Couldn’t executioners have administered a tranquilizer before moving him? That is standard veterinary practice. In the poem, I like “running game,” especially after seeing the news video. Near the end, I would say “such as me” because the pronoun stands in apposition to “alpacas,” the direct object of “researching.” And “me” adds an internal rhyme! Reply
Paul Freeman October 12, 2021 Thanks for the informed comments, Margaret. It was a shame what happened to Geronimo. Stories like this tend to grip the UK when there’s little serious news, thus making Geronimo an international celebrity until he met his fate. Reply
Margaret Coats October 12, 2021 I forgot to mention that “Geronimo the Alpaca” resonates rhythmically with the ferocious and elusive namesake, “Geronimo the Apache.” Reply
