Animal Rights Poetry
By
Jenny Moxham
Copyright © 2012 Jenny Moxham
Published at Smashwords
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I ONLY SAW HER FOR AN INSTANT
I only saw her for an instant
As the cattle truck sped by
But that fleeting brief encounter
Was enough to make me cry.
What struck me was her dignity
So regal! Head held high,
And I cried because I knew the way
Too soon, she'd surely die.
She looked every inch a lady
So deserving of respect.
The brutal bloody fate in store
I prayed she'd not suspect.
She'd never harmed a living soul
Yet hands unfit to touch her,
Would soon transform her regal form
And beat and bruise and clutch her.
For her there'd be no comfort
As the 'final hour' drew near.
No loving tender touch
To make it easier to bear.
Instead she'd see the terror
In the frantic fear-filled eyes
Of the ones who went before her,
Then their last blood-curdling cries.
What cruel unjust and callous world
To break this gentle heart,
Eyes glazed with fear, my lovely queen
Would soon be ripped apart.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I've often heard it said by folk
Who relish eating meat,
'The animals were put on Earth
For human beings to eat'.
Well if God made them just for us,
Explain it, if you can,
Why they arrived one hundred million
Years ahead of man.
WHAT IS BABY DRINKING?
'What is baby drinking?'
(He'd been watching for a while).
'He's drinking Mother's milk, she answered
Sweetly with a smile.
'What is milk?' the child inquired,
'I'd really like to know.'
'Why milk's a special baby food
That makes a baby grow.
She poured milk from a carton
And sipped her cup of tea.
The carton showed a picture of
A cow beneath a tree.
His little brow was furrowed
As he watched his baby brother,
Then all at once he gave a cry
'That cow must be your mother!'
'Oh, you're a funny little man
To think a cow's my mother!
Whatever gave you such a thought
From watching baby brother.
'I saw you drink her baby milk
So where then is her baby?
And why do you drink baby milk
When you're a full grown lady'.
'The farmer killed her baby calf
And took its milk', said she.
'So I could have some baby milk
To put into my tea.'
And as she spoke those words to him
She realized what she'd said,
And thought about the mother cow
Her little babe now dead.
She felt the anguish of the cow
Her baby snatched away.
She felt the fear of the calf
Upon that fateful day.
And looking down at her sweet babe
Secure in her embrace,
She knew the cow no more would gaze
In her sweet baby's face.
So then and there she made a vow
To never more partake,
In killing calves and taking milk
That isn't ours to take.
Her little child had made her see
As clearly as could be,
That cow's milk is for baby calves
And not for you and me.
A TIME FOR LOVE
If Christmas is a time for love
Can someone please explain,
Why Christmas is the time folk cause
The animals most pain.
If Christmas is a time for peace,
Can someone tell me why,
The brutal, bloody slaughtering
Is at an all year high.
It simply makes no sense at all
This season is a sham,
We should be showing pigs some love
Not killing them for ham.
And turkeys, inoffensive birds,
What hell folk put them through,
For nothing but a little bit of
Flesh on which to chew.
This time of year is meant for love
So loving it should be,
This means of course our Christmas fare,
Should all be cruelty-free.
It's farcical to pray for peace
Then serve a Christmas feast,
Consisting of some cruelly tortured,
Slaughtered bird or beast.
CHRISTMAS LOVE?
We're rapidly nearing that time of the year
Renowned for its peace and goodwill and good cheer.
But how can we say it's a season of peace,
The way we treat piglets and turkeys and geese.
We lock them in sheds where they cannot be seen,
And sever bird's beaks with a hot guillotine.
We don't care that piglets are going through hell,
As we slice off their tails and castrate them as well.
We cruelly subject them to torturous lives,
Then just before Christmas we kill them with knives.
For nothing but taste, we abuse and we kill,
And all at a time that is meant for goodwill.
If Jesus came back he'd be shocked I am sure
To witness our cruelty to creatures galore.
He'd surely be saddened and deeply dismayed
To see just how far from his teachings we'd strayed.
CAROLS BY FIREWORKS
Why fireworks at Christmas?
That's what I'd like to know.
Why turn a time of peace into
A loud and noisy show.
A show that's not just noisy
But that causes massive fear
To every single animal
Who happens to be near.
We should be spreading kindness;
We should be spreading love;
Not launching noisy, terrifying
Rockets up above.
So let’s get rid of fireworks
And remember Jesus' birth,
Is a time to show goodwill and love
To EVERYONE on Earth.
COWS GIVE US MILK
"Cows give us milk" how often do we hear that little phrase,
It sounds so inoffensive, don't you think?
It simply wouldn't sound as nice to say "we steal the milk
That's intended for a new born calf to drink".
And it wouldn't do to say that cows are forced to have a baby,
Not one baby but a baby every year,
For a cow, like any lady, has to have a little baby
Or her milk supply will simply disappear.
And it wouldn't seem so civilized to publicize the fact
That the tiny babe is snatched away and killed,
So the milk designed to feed him can be cleverly extracted
Just so human folk can have their tummies filled.
So this oft repeated phrase makes the dairy people happy,
Those who drink the milk are happy, and it seems a happy scene,
But the cow with udder swollen, and her new born baby stolen
Is the sad and tragic victim of this industry obscene.
BATTERY HEN
Can you imagine how I feel
Condemned to life within a place,
Where I cannot ever take a step
Because there is no space.
Can you imagine how I'm aching,
How I long to flap my wings,
I've swollen feet and knee joints
And the pain debeaking brings.
Each day's a living nightmare
Of uninterrupted pain,
For my feather-pecking cell mates
Have already gone insane.
Each day seams an eternity,
Yet one more day to dread.
I've runny sores and tumours
And I wish that I were dead.
And I wonder if, at breakfast,
With my egg upon your plate,
You ever think about me
Or my cruel and tragic fate.
And when your breakfast's over
And you toss away my shell,
Do you realize that the cost to me
Was one whole day in hell?
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT?
How would you like it if right from the start,
Right from the day of your birth,
You were never allowed to have even one glimpse
Of this beautiful glorious Earth.
Not ever a glimpse of the sun or the sky
The grassy green meadows or trees,
Deprived of all knowledge of beauty and colour
Of raindrops and sweet summer breeze.
Well this is the wanton and cruel deprivation
Imposed upon millions of hens,
Imposed upon chickens in windowless warehouses
Pigs and their piglets in pens.
Not permitted to know even if there's a world
Regardless of what shape or form,
Outside of the cobwebby, gloomy grey prison,
The hell into which they've been born.
But there does come a day when some do get a chance
To get a wee glimpse of the sky,
The dazzle of sunshine or grassy green field
As their transport goes hurtling by.
The sad irony is that this day of their life,
This day when their hearts should be filled,
Is the day that they're crammed into lorries and crates,
And driven away to be killed.
Each year billions of factory farmed animals are forced to spend their entire lives in small cages, pens and crowded sheds. They are painfully mutilated and denied all semblance of a natural life. The majority are denied even one glimpse of their beautiful world.
ANIMAL LOVERS?
'We're all animal lovers here', she said,
In a voice that was filled with pride.
'That guinea pig there belongs to Meg,
And Tom's got a lizard inside.
Young Bert's got a couple of rats in his room,
And there in the hutch by the house,
Is the rabbit we bought for Joan last year,
And Millicent's just got a mouse.
Oh we've also got frogs in that jar over there
That belong to our young one Todd.
You're an animal lover yourself, you say.
No pets! How incredibly odd!'
Keeping animals permanently locked up in cages is not loving them. We wouldn't like to spend our lives imprisoned in a cage or tank ... and neither do they. Caged animals suffer from boredom, loneliness and lack of exercise.
A VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS
(Sung to the tune of 'The Times They Are A'Changing' by Bob Dylan)
We're fighting to set all the animals free,
To release them from bondage and man's tyranny
And we'll never give up 'til each one of them's free
For their pain is our pain and it's hurting;
And the truth must be told
By the fearless and bold
For the times they are a'changing.
There's no-one to save them except you and me,
And we'll never give up on them 'til they are free.
If it takes us a lifetime that's how it must be,
And truth will win out in the end;
For justice and right
Surely overcome might
And the times they are a'changing.
And when you're downhearted and filled with despair
Don't give up the fight for you've comrades out there,
And together we'll banish oppression and fear,
And the world will be happy and free;
And our hearts will be filled
For no more will be killed
Oh, the times they are a'changing.
So dare to have courage and dare to be strong,
And dare to tell others that murder is wrong,
And give all that you have and give all that you can,
And success will be ours in the dawning;
And sorrow and pain
Will never more reign
For the times they are a'changing.
Each day of your lifetime where 'ere you may be,
Be a voice for the animals 'til they are free.
Enlighten the ignorant, make the blind see,
And this slavery surely will end;
And with banners unfurled
Let us shout to the world,
Oh, the times they are a'changing.
CARNIVORE MAN?
We don't have strong
Digestive juice,
Short gut, sharp fangs
Or claws,
So why do people
Think we're meant to
Eat like carnivores.
With weaker 'juice'
And lengthy gut,
Short teeth and
Sliding jaw,
Man's diet clearly
Should be more
Like ape and herbivore
Anatomy of a carnivore: Stomach that secretes hydrochloric acid to break down protein and kill bacteria found in decaying flesh; short and simple large intestine for fast elimination; long, sharp, curved canines for stabbing, tearing and killing prey; wide mouth and powerful jaws for seizing and dismembering prey; sharp claws.
DEATH SHIP
When they sailed away from Devonport and left Australia's shore,
'Twas as well the 50,000 sheep knew not what lay in store.
The ship, the Al Messilah, was headed for Kuwait,
Her hapless cargo destined for a cruel and gruesome fate.
Three weeks or more they'd spend at sea in a cramped and tiny space,
Where many a sheep would die before they reached that foreign place.
Three weeks in a stifling putrid pen in ammonia laden air,
That would aggravate and blind the eyes, the pain beyond compare.
And when they finally reached the port and stood on land once more,
Their joy would quickly turn to dread at the sounds and sights they saw.
Strange men with sticks would beat them and would tie their legs together,
And lock them in the boots of cars in searing, scorching weather.
And some of them would die in pens, the heat too much to stand,
So different from the climate of their temperate southern land,
And others sent to slaughter would be thrown down side by side,
To await their agonizing death in terror, bound and tied.
Each one would see the ones ahead receive their cut of death,
Convulsing as they choked on blood and struggling for breath,
Each one that sailed from Devonport would meet a fearsome fate,
Each sheep upon that Ship of Death now headed for Kuwait.
In February 2006, 50,000 sheep left Australia bound for Kuwait. Protesters in dinghies and kayaks attempted to block the ships entry to the port and painted the words "Death Ship" on the side of the vessel.
DON'T EVER HURT AN ANIMAL
'Don't ever hurt an animal.'
That's what me mam would say.
'Don't ever hurt an animal
In any single way.'
She'd say, 'You've gotta treat them right
'Cos they've got feelin's too.
They want to 'ave an 'appy life
The same as me and you.'
Some folks make out they love 'em
But it simply isn't true.
Near breaks me 'eart to 'ear about
The things that some folk do.
Now what will Grandma get for lunch
We're almost at the shops;
Some nice cold ham or leg of lamb
Or shall we have some chops?
And not forgettin' Rover,
We'll 'ave to buy 'is mince;
And liver for Miss Tabby
And a bone or two for Prince.
Oh yes, as I was sayin' love,
Some folks'd make you cry,
Perhaps I'm just a softie but
I couldn't hurt a fly!
CHRISTMAS NON-SENSE
Why slaughter the innocent turkey,
At a time when we're meant to show peace?
Why butcher the pigs at a time of goodwill,
And torture and terrify geese?
If we celebrate Christmas with cruelty
Aren't we turning it into a sham?
Does it really make sense to sing about peace
And then feast upon turkey and ham?
FREEDOM FOR BIRDS
A tall forest tree is a cockatoo's home
So why must I stay in this cage all alone?
I'm bored, sad and lonely with nothing to do,
Each day is the same with the very same view.
I watch the birds soaring high over the trees
And I long to fly with them aloft on the breeze,
Seeing new places each wondrous new day,
Swirling and twirling in glorious play.
Just one week ago a stranger passed by,
She saw me and knew that a bird longs to fly.
She asked if you'd think about setting me free.
You said, 'This bird's special', and wouldn't agree.
Well if I am special please think how I feel.
I'm not a stuffed toy, I'm alive and I'm real.
I'm not made of stone, I have feeling's like you.
Life's not just for human's this world is mine too.
So now I am hoping and praying you'll see
That to love a thing truly you must set it free,
For it matters not whether you're big or you're small,
A life without freedom is no life at all.
GUARD DOG
I'm a guard dog
And I am sad,
Can't remember
Ever feeling glad.
I've never known
A kindly word,
And a caring voice
I've never heard.
When people pass
I bark and run,
I'm simply scared
Of everyone.
Each night alone
Beneath the stars,
In a yard of junk
And rusty cars.
I had never thought about the suffering of guard dogs until I came across this German shepherd locked up in an old car wrecker’s yard. When I approached the wire gate to speak to him, he was so fearful, he ran away. It was pitiful to see what this powerful looking animal had been reduced to.
LAND OF THE FREE?
All human cherish freedom
As I'm sure you will agree,
So why is it so many people
Somehow fail to see
That every creature on the Earth
Desires freedom too,
And hates to be imprisoned
Just as much as humans do.
Without a qualm or second thought
Without regret or care,
We cage and pen and chain the ones
With whom the world we share.
We lock them up in factory farms
In circuses and zoos,
In science labs, aquariums
And anything we choose.
In fields enclosed by wire fence
We lock up cows and sheep,
We lock up rabbits, birds and mice
And other 'pets' we keep.
And then we talk about the news
With friends who come to tea,
And say how truly blessed we are
To live where all are free.
VISIONS OF CHRISTMAS
Christmas time
Is fast approaching,
Thoughts of Santa
Fun and toys,
Christmas trees
And decorations,
Fill the minds
Of girls and boys.
But as Christmas
Time approaches,
Sadder visions
Fill my head,
Turkeys crammed
In hellish prisons,
Christmas Day
They'll all be dead.
Four to five months before Christmas, young turkeys are confined in dimly lit sheds that hold up to 25,000 birds. To reduce fighting injuries, caused by stress, the birds are de-beaked and their toes are amputated - all without anaesthetic. As the birds grow, the free space rapidly diminishes until there is barely room to move. The quagmire of manure causes respiratory illness and ammonia burns to the bird's hocks and eyes - which may cause blindness. Shortly before Christmas the birds are trucked to a slaughterhouse and hung upside-down on a conveyor belt. If they manage to avoid the automatic knife they may be boiled to death in the scalding tank.
MEAT IS ME!
You've nothing against eating meat, you say,
As though meat were some innocent fare,
Like a crunchy red apple, a cabbage or bean,
A succulent peach or a pear.
But meat's nothing at all like a cabbage or bean
Or a fruit that you pluck from a tree
This 'meat' as you call it, has feelings like you.
This 'meat', as you call it, is me!
It's true my appearance is different from yours
And I don't speak the language you do,
But inside I'm the same, I feel fear and pain
In exactly the same way as you.
You say that some animals kill for their food,
But they don't know how else to survive,
You've a wealth of nutritious, delicious cuisine.
You don't need to eat beings to thrive.
Just think how you'd like it if you were the one
Who had been designated to die,
Simply 'cos somebody fancied the taste of your
Rump or your leg or your thigh.
You'd probably scream 'It's unfair and unjust!'
And you'd make an incredible fuss,
So why can't you see, it's as clear as can be,
That's it's just as unfair to kill us.
DOESN'T TIME FLY!
Doesn't time fly!
It's a phrase we use quite often
But for some this is a luxury unknown,
For some their lives are simply
So distressing and depressing
That for them the time has never ever flown.
For the sad and hapless creatures
Who are locked away in farms,
With nothing to look forward to each day,
'Cept another day of boredom
And severe deprivation,
Time never flies in any single way.
They are feeling too dejected
For the time to ever fly,
They're bewildered, they're frustrated, they are sad,
They're cramped and stiff and sore
And each day they're hurting more,
And it's clear that some are even going mad.
So when next you use this phrase
Spare a thought for all these others,
For the piglets and their mothers and the broiler chicks and hens,
In a world so hard to bear,
Where a week is like a year,
As they languish and they suffer in their cages, sheds and pens.
MOUSEY
From time to time I've sometimes
Come across a little mouse,
Who'd somehow found his way into
My warm and cosy house.
I must admit I wasn't pleased
To see that little guest,
That little furry animal
That people call a pest.
But just the other day I saw
A little baby mouse,
His mum had turned my compost bin
Into a little house.
Now after seeing him each day
I realize mice are sweet,
In fact I even love to leave
A juicy little a treat.
'PERSONAL CHOICE'
It's claimed eating meat
Is a 'personal choice'
But what about those that we eat?
I'm sure that they too
Have a 'personal choice'
Not to cruelly be turned into meat.
Why is it we think
That the choice is all ours,
When others have so much to lose,
For something as fleeting
And fickle as taste,
Why should it be humans who choose?
THE SLAUGHTERMEN OF BASSATIN
The slaughtermen of Bassatin
Were brandishing their knives.
The slaughtermen of Bassatin
Were bent on taking lives.
They cut the cattle's tendons
And ignored their anguished cries,
The torturemen of Bassatin
Then stabbed them in the eyes.
In the Bassatin slaughterhouse in Egypt, slaughtermen disable cattle by cutting the tendons of their legs then plunging a long knife through the eye which then serves as a handle to jerk the animals head around for ritual slaughter.
HOW DID WE GET IT WRONG?
Do apes drink milk from zebra’s?
Do monkeys suckle sows?
Wouldn't it look ludicrous?
Well humans drink from cows!
Do any full grown animals
Drink milk that's meant for babies?
Just human beings seem to think
It's meant for men and ladies.
If cow's don't even drink their milk
And obviously thrive,
Isn't it absurd to think
We need it to survive.
We're told we need the calcium
To make our bones grow strong,
Yet cows get theirs from nice green grass,
How did we get it wrong?
Did these poems inspire you to change? If so, why don’t you check out PETA.ORG for a website that has a ton of information on how you can help animals.