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.The Vegan Poem Page 4

Unique poetry to promote the many benefits of a plant-based (vegan) diet.

These poem pages are a forum for artists to share their work with others.
Unless otherwise noted, the poems are copyrighted by the individual authors.
Views expressed in these poems do not necessarily reflect those of SoyStache and it's founders.

Poetry by Bernie Jones:

Bernie Jones, Page 1: "Battery Chicken" "Insanity" "Is This My Life?" "It Hurts" "Necessary Suffering?" "No One Hears" "The March" "Turkey Day" "The Cost of an Omelette" "Death of a Dairy Cow" "Disposable Units" "I Opened my Eyes" "Ignorance is Bliss" "THAT Man" "The Slaughterman's Birthday" "Wear Your Own Skin!"

Bernie Jones, Page 2 (all NEW): Because We've Got the Power BEING FOR THE SAKE OF BEING Conscience Set to 'Mute' Evil Isn't Far Hey Little Ducky I Am I Matter If Animals Had a Voice It's Ok By Us It's only a film Making Bacon The End of the Line The Greater Good The Greed of the West The Same Peaceful Song The Saviour Who Never Comes There's Always An Excuse There Was a Young Puppy... They Will All Die... Who Sheds a Tear? Where Do All Their Bits Go? The Season of Goodwill

Battery Chicken

I have no control over anything about my life
I am used, abused;
my life is worthless.
When I am spent, I will be killed.
When I no longer earn the right to this tiny little space I am living in...
I will be disposed of in a painful and despicable manner.
Few will ever know or care that I ever existed,
though I exist for them.
Most people will never WANT to know about me.
My life and death will be hidden from their eyes,
so long as the people who DO know, keep quiet.
Those people who will never choose to know
are the very people who create the need for my feeble existence....
and my inevitable slaughter.
I will never thank them for my life...
only for my death.

Insanity

Looked on as necessity so
accepted by society
Enveloped in normality so
supported by the majority
Their tortured souls cry out to me
By-products of an industry
Bred to die for us to eat
Dying for something so PETTY
Insanity.

Is This My Life?

Get away from me!
Stop pecking me!
Stop that throbbing in my head...that searing pain in my beak
What's happened to my beak?
A hot blade, a searing pain I can still feel...what did they do?
Why did they do it?
Take that foul stench from what is left of my
nostrils...PLEASE!

...is this my life?

I can barely move
I shit through the slats in the floor
I'm scared and I'm cramped.
GET AWAY FROM ME!
No space to call my own.
I peck...I am pecked.
I peck and try to stretch,
and peck
and shit
and peck
and sleep
and try to stretch again.
It stinks in here. I stink. This world stinks.

Is this my life?

I lay, I eat, I shit, I sleep, I peck, I am pecked, I stink,
I screech, I feel pain

Is this my life?

It Hurts

Surely they understand
as I squeal
as I squeak
as I move
as I shove
as I struggle
as I twist
as I turn
as I scream
as I push
as I plead
as I give up
as I bleed
...that it hurts

Necessary Suffering?

We resign to the fact that lives will be lost
To satisfy cravings, no matter the cost
The voiceless will die, no screams to be heard
Though the horror goes on, few people care
Grown for our pleasure
Tweaked for good measure
Slaughtered at leisure
For a culinary treasure
Who said it was right to create life to take it?
To slit the lamb's throat to grill fry or bake it?!
Take newborns from mothers, slaughter cows whilst with baby?
All for the sake of sausage and gravy!
Grown for our pleasure
Tweaked for good measure
Slaughtered at leisure
For a culinary treasure
Watch the beast struggle whilst it's throat's being slit
Improperly stunned,
struggling,
in agonizing pain,
falling into the blood pit.
Thrown live into the scalding tank, soon this pain must cease
Poor innocent,
never caused harm,
on her vile path to everlasting peace
Grown for our pleasure
Tweaked for good measure
Slaughtered at leisure
For a culinary treasure
Maybe they haven't died in vain
Some good may come from all this pain...
Might end up in a Jamie Oliver recipe!

No One Hears

As the needle goes in
As the poison goes on
The foul tasting substance is forced into my mouth
As I begin to feel drowsy
I feel pain upon pain
Please God...
HEAR MY PLEAS!

...no one hears.

My ears and eyes sting
What was in that syringe?
Why are they shaving my back?
What's that paste?...it BURNS!
I scream again with the pain
For mercy's sake...
HEAR MY PLEAS!

...no one hears

They scrape,
they rape,
they prod,
they poke,
they cut,
they slice,
they dice,
they splice,
they inject,
they sting,
they hurt!
Please, I'M IN AGONY!
STOP HURTING ME!
HEAR MY PLEAS!

...Still, no one hears.

The March

We hold aloft banners,
PAIN for all to see
We scream out the truth
a wild and desperate plea!
We march and we shout
and hope someone will hear
Hearts swell with determination,
To make the truth clear
On a subject held dear
In the hopes some will hear

We peacefully make our stand
We will NOT add our names to the majority list
We wish to hold out our hands,
show compassion,
not destroy with our fists.
But 'we' are the trouble makers?
'We' offend the eye?!
Holding aloft the truth
Death and torture up high
With desperation we cry
with compassion money can't buy

We speak for the voiceless
We despair for the voiceless
We weep for the voiceless
We care for the voiceless
We refuse to support mutilation, torture, slaughter
We fight to stop the abuse of minds, bodies, souls
We must stop the suffering of mothers, fathers, sons,
daughters
We will not accept the 850,000,000 a year death toll

The majority support this, yet WE are the ones who offend?

Turkey Day

Get your coat on love, it's turkey day today
Christmas is only a short week away
Off to market we go, I'll let you choose
We want the plumpest, no time to lose!

Mummy...was that once alive?
Yes dear
Mummy...is it dead?
Yes dear!
Mummy...did it cry when it died?
No dear!
Mummy...how do you KNOW what it said?
Did it WANT to die?
Did it scream and cry?
Are they all it's sisters and brothers?
Are they girls or boys?
Did they make a noise?
Did they all have fathers and mothers?
Does it hurt to die?
Did they all say goodbye?
Is it just like going to sleep?
But you said killing is bad.
Mummy...I'm really sad
I pray the Lord their souls to keep

I don't want to eat turkey mummy.

The Cost of an Omelette

Eggs, milk and cheese, no animal is hurt
That is what I used to think
I would never eat meat, but I'll have a cheese omelette
And a big glass of cold milk to drink
Omelette's are great, no cruelty involved
Cruelty? I won't take the blame!
I'm doing my bit and I feel nice and smug
Bernie the veggie's my name!

Then one day...
I was surfing the net, can't remember quite why
It must have been 'my time' to learn
What's this? By-products? Calves? Chicks?
My stomach had started to churn
The male chicks are useless so are crushed, gassed or shredded
Male calves are disposed of at birth
So I can have milk, cheese and eggs for my tea
I never knew of such cruelty on earth

So finally I had gotten to the truth, to the facts
It's not only meat that is cruel
When animals are 'used', pain's an inevitable cost
I can't believe I have been such a fool
Even if ONE calf or chick dies in pain
It would be one too many I fear
But it's not one or two, but millions of lives
being taken for us every year
I've since become vegan, I've realised the cost,
of an omelette is just much too dear.

Death of a Dairy Cow

My time to die is close now
Though I'm too tired to fight
I see many others 'round me
Struggling with all their might

My bones, my skin, my innards ache
Worn out before my years
Soon to die, and I am glad
My fatigue outweighs my fears

Many offspring I have bore
Though I have reared none
I have grieved for each of my babies,
Never known where they have gone

My life is to be extinguished
Though I am heavily with calf
I want to die, though fear for the pain
To be inflicted on this unborn life

The pain and terror of my slaughter
Will be less to bear than was my life
But I feel terror for my little one
To know nothing save the slaughterman's knife

I'm offloaded with the others
Herded and beaten to the killing floor
White eyes of terror all around me, 
When my life will be extinguished, I am not sure

I'm next...I'm restrained...I shit myself
A bolt is held to my head
A second and it will all be over?
I welcome being dead
Please let my baby's death be quick...

Disposable Units

Those who commit the crimes
Don't hear the screams?
Won't hear the screams?
Can't hear the screams?
For if they did they'd stop, surely...?

I Opened my Eyes

I have been hurt and made to feel bad
I have been shocked and made to feel sad
I have been forced to change my life
I have felt so much upset and strife
I have seen some truths and I have turned away
I didn't acknowledge all suffering in one day
I didn't change all my ways overnight
I didn't suddenly know, all that was right
It takes a lifetime to learn and it hurts at the start
But it didn't take long to look into my heart
To realize the cruelty and make my stand
If you want to learn...here is my hand
I will help you
Stop the cruelty

Ignorance is Bliss

I look all around me to see what is "normal"
And the tears will not cease not because I'm hormonal
Because the things that I witness all of the time
Are things derived of cruelty, though pushed from your minds
I look down and I see you are wearing leather daps
And it's ham or corned beef that you have in your baps
It is cow's milk you put in your coffee and tea
Is that contempt in your eyes as you're looking at me?
I try not to look, not to judge, though inside
The pain that I feel is so hard to hide
I know the cruelties behind those "innocent" acts
You choose not to see, but I know the facts
Do I make you feel guilty for making my stand?
Why do you turn from me as I hold out my hand?
Is it because you believe all I do is criticize?
As you eat your beef burger and turn from my eyes.
Do you never ask me questions because you don't want to hear

...the reasons for my actions, the cost is too dear
You may have to change, if you hear what I say
It may change your life in every way!
You perpetuate suffering though try not to see it
Sometimes you realize, try hard to ignore it
I understand fully, it's painful to see
The suffering and pain, the endless cruelty
It's easier to bury your head in the sand
Only I can't ignore the truth on command
It's time that more people make the stand
Please, open your eyes, take my hand
And take a good, long look at the realities of this world
Join in the fight to stop the cruelty.

THAT Man

I am trying to look into the heart of THAT man
He looks like he could be my father, my brother, my lover
I'm trying to see that THAT man, has a heart
He looks so ordinary, no different from one man or another
I have such bad feelings towards THAT man
I cannot comprehend his motivation
THAT man eats, drinks and sleeps the same as you and I,
Looking at him, I find it hard to hate him
It's so hard to believe he commits such horrendous acts
It's just a job to him, killing, day in, day out
Does he understand the evil behind what he does?
Is he well aware what suffering is all about?
Does he think about the suffering, though simply not care?
Does he value money, higher than life?
Does he know what morals are? Have principles, values?
Does he ever repent as he uses his knife?
Does he see the fear in the animal's eyes?
Does he care as she struggles to get free?
Does he care as he places the bolt to her head?
Or does he simply choose not to see?
Does he laugh as she clumsily falls to the floor,
As he takes his knife and slits her throat?
Does he ignore her when she becomes conscious again
Thrashing more blood on his already spattered overcoat?
That pig's in agony, she's fully conscious
As her throat is roughly slit
Struggling, squealing, kicking, smashing 
Crashing to the floor of the blood pit
Is that just a necessary part of the job
Seeing suffering every day?
Does he really believe the vile things he does
Are the right, the ONLY way?
He's paid per head, killing faster and faster
Who cares if the pregnant cow is awake?
THAT man needs the cash for his holiday in Spain
Killing for survival's sake?!
It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it
That's what most people say
They don't even question the majority's norm
That there might just be another way?!
"I wouldn't do it, but thank God for THAT man."
My loved ones keep THAT man covered in blood
They are as cruel as THAT man who holds the knife
He does the job they don't think they could!
They choose not to see the horrors they support
The pain and suffering they cause
Never to know the hell inside the slaughterhouse,
See deaths of the innocents without a voice

The Slaughterman's Birthday

I saw the balloons on the slaughterhouse door
Red like the colour of the slaughterhouse floor
Someoneís having a birthday and theyíll eat some cake
What birthday wish will the animals make
Let's have a party
As we take some lives
Let's celebrate
Whilst we use our knives
Let's have some fun
As the young calf screams
We'll drown the noise out
...with laughter.
Happy birthday to you
BANG GOES THE GUN
Happy birthday to you
LET'S HAVE SOME FUN, FUN, FUN!
Happy birthday dear slaughterman!
The cow drops with a thud
Happy birthday to you
Now she's covered in blood
So, let's have a party
As we take some lives
Let's celebrate
Whilst we use our knives
Let's have some fun
As the young calf screams
We'll drown the noise out
...with laughter.
The absurdity of what I saw made me cry
To think that 'they' are laughing as the animals die
Cut down in their prime for us to eat
No birthdays for them, just a journey to 'meat'.
But, let's have a party
As we take some lives
Let's celebrate
Whilst we use our knives
Let's have some fun
As the young calf screams
We'll drown the noise out
...with laughter.
Inside those walls today they're having some fun
Celebrating someone's life as their bloody work is done
Many years he's worked taking life after life
...now let's celebrate his?
Yeah, let's have a party
As we take some lives
Let's celebrate
Whilst we use our knives
Let's have some fun
As the young calf screams
We'll drown the noise out
...with laughter.

Wear Your Own Skin!

Although I'm not ecstatic, about the skin I'm in
Killing someone to remove theirs, would surely be a sin?!
I believe that it is wicked to kill an animal for its fur,
To take the skin it's living in, leave its bloodied carcass bare!
Some think that it's acceptable, to kill in the name of fashion,
Adorn the fireplace with animal skin for a night of bloody passion.
But I will NEVER resign to the evil deed, creating life to take it,
When we can buy from great designers who can well and truly 'fake it'!
I want no part of the pain, the suffering, the fashion of this season,
Killing for the sake of flaunting wealth is NOT a valid reason!
An outfit that 'suffers' before you wear it; a macabre and awful thought
In a so-called civilized society murder really can be bought!
Poor creatures are bred and grown and crammed, into a tiny cage,
A broken neck or anal electrocution end their sorry days.
I know these creatures would not want this life, if they had the choice
Would this cruelty still be happening if these babies had a voice?
I don't wear fur for the reasons that I have specified above
I refuse to live for cruelty and suffering, I choose to live for love.

 

If you are already following a plant-based diet, we applaud you. If you are not, please begin making a transition to a plant-based diet. There are many resources available on the internet and perhaps in your own area. Please visit our links page to find some of these resources. For more information on the health and environmental affects of our food choices please visit our facts page and even our calcium sources page.

If you have your own vegan poetry and would like to submit it to us to post on our site, please contact us.