Koko, Who Learned Sign Language

To what extent can animals
understand
joy and sorrow?

A certain psychologist
taught sign language to a gorilla.

She learned it
better than expected,
even conveying lies and jokes.

One day—

Koko the gorilla
was told that the kitten
she cherished had been hit by a car and died.

After a moment of silence,
she moved her fingers.

—Don't want to talk—

Then,
she began to express her love for her friend
and the sorrow of having lost it,

crying out loud.

☆☆☆

Hello!
I'm Fujimidori♡

[Healing Poetry Stories]

As a practitioner of the Way, I have woven poems and stories based on the phenomena I have witnessed and felt, and paired them with the brush paintings of Yo Sakukawa.

The background of these creations and more are published onanother sitewhere I chat with Yo-san.

Now, let's begin—

☆☆☆

The gorilla who learned sign language was overcome with grief when the kitten she played with died.

However, there was criticism. Some claimed it was a deception that only made sense to the zookeeper psychologist.

They denounced the image of Koko mourning the death of the kitten as a fake, created by splicing together separate pieces of footage.

Why?

Because they do not want to accept it. That a gorilla could understand the concept of death and even express sorrow—

Which one are you?

Do you want to accept the gorilla who reveals her sorrow through sign language? Or do you want to suspect the zookeeper's empathy?

People only try to see what they want to see. They only listen to what they want to hear.

Because it makes them feel safe.

But that sense of security is shattered into pieces in the afterlife.

Because—

There are no longer eyes to see only what one wants to see. There are no longer ears to plug with fingers when one does not want to hear.

☆☆☆

"A gorilla and a kitten of different species, yet we humans kill each other even though we are the same kind. Why can't we get along?"

"Well, it can't be helped. This is a place to purge the karma of our past lives. Everyone gets lost, worries, and suffers. It's like a restaurant kitchen, you see."

"Laughing and eating happily happens in the world after death. It's amazing we've made it this far. I've only got a little left to go myself."

"It's fine as it is. This is all we can do, isn't it? Ah, but still... those who have passed on before will answer if you call them. It makes me want to cry."

☆☆☆

As time flows—

Koko the gorilla,
who learned sign language,
is laughing
merrily today

While playing happily
with her new cat friends

She has never
forgotten the kitten

Her precious friend,
who returned to the world of souls,
is always by her side

Because Koko's heart is transparent,
and she is her true self,

They can always laugh together

☆☆☆

Thank you for reading!

See you again💚