We miss you, Harambe. You were one of a kind. You changed the lives and touched the hearts of millions. You held your own in the kingdom of Cincinatti with such grace, such fervor. You left us far too soon. You fathered the human child, if only for a moment, ensuring that he would not be hurt by the other beasts of the zoo. You have influenced me greatly, so I write and dedicate this to you.

Harambe

Humble

Amiable

Radiant

Affectionate

Magnificent

Bewildering

Extraordinary

Harambe

A Harambe Haiku:

Cincinatti Zoo

Where a boy fell in and then

Harambe got shot.

Harambe, A Sonnet:

His muscled breasts were shown in morning shine.

Betwixt the Cincinnati leaves of green.

He held the boy, their hearts were now entwined.

Was he in danger? What did the beast mean?

"But, stop! said the mother to the captor.

"But, halt!" they yelled out to his majesty.

A gun quieted the screams, the laughter,

and freed the child from this tragedy.

Shall we aim our anger at the mother,

While her child saw a way to escape?

Shall we cry, he lives! Our human brother!

Or shall we scream, he dies! The mighty ape!

"Gorilla gorilla" appears his chart.

"Beloved Harambe" stays in our heart.

Did zoo officials have to shoot Harambe? Are we certain that he was acting aggressively towards the child, or was he being fatherly? Gorillas are known for being gentle and peaceful, albeit large and strong creatures. They have close knit families and groups. Could they have taken non-lethal action to get the boy back to his parents? So many questions could be asked, and they can keep us up at night if we let them. But like any other loss, we need to be thankful for what we had when we had it, and remember the good times and memories with them. Harambe comes from an endangered species and his genes were important for preservation and research, but what happened, happened. We need to use this event and learn from it.

In Swahili, Harambe means working together, pulling together, helping each other, caring, and sharing. If we could only work together, and be more caring, perhaps the world would be a better place for us and for our children. As we heal, let us heal the world. Rest in piece, Harambe.