An alpaca died today.  Sadness wasn’t really on anyones mind; we thought about the lightness of it, how we would carry its body, of the vultures. We tied a rope around it’s waist and dragged it through the field, hoping that the more sentimental folks would not encounter it. Nobody knew why it died.

Alpacas are kind animals, sweet to look at, calm and somewhat graceful. The alpaca never did me any favors, but it was always patient at feeding time. It was nearly a friend, like many of us.