A Man Called Poncho

Poetry

When Alfonso embarks on a project, he dedicates himself to it completely.

Alfonso, a good example of putting one’s Heart and Soul completely into his work.

He starts by playing “Eye of the Tiger,” and then gets his hands dirty, his effort comparable to chopping a tree down with one’s bare hands.

For example, fifteen years ago Alfonso decided to go on morning runs with his golden retriever.

Alfonso, now 86, still goes on morning runs with his golden retriever who would call him Al or Poncho If she could.

Once, during one of his runs, a bunch of men in overly expensive suits hailed Poncho, half with their heads down, texting.

They had heard from a friend of a friend who knows the grocer down on Anderson where Poncho buys red bell peppers that Poncho was one healthy hombre.

They asked Poncho if he could act in their drug commercial and come to the scene after a rickety, old actor with scoliosis, wearing a bucketful of gruesome makeup, presenting an exaggerated, if not audaciously unethical picture of disease X so that Poncho could portray the rejuvenated version of said old man after he had taken drug Y.

The suits gave Poncho an offer he couldn’t refuse: $100,000.

Poncho refused. He would rather run to the Great Barrier Reef before it’s gone, gobbled up by the world man has created.

Thank you for reading! © Daniel Barry, 2021

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