How nice to see the farmer
Hand-feed his farm-grown cow
We get a nice warm feeling inside
Everything’s fine right now
Where the farm-grown cow goes next
We blot out from our mind
It’s headed to the abattoir
How very, very kind
Into the supermarket we do go
Along the red-meat aisle
See all the packaged body parts
How nice we say and smile
Before our very eyes we see
A cut-up cow in packs
Is this the happy cow we saw?
Being hand-fed way, way back?
We buy our pack of body parts
And cook them all for tea
Refusing to accept the fact
This happened ’cause of me
Our tastebuds are addicted to
Their fix of body parts
We don’t care which and where they’re from
We buy them at the marts
A disconnect we seem to have
Between the cow and plate
Don’t want know, we need our fix
What fix? What cow? What fate?
So have we given up my friends?
Disconnecting again and again
I hope we are able to live with ourselves
Putting up with such animal pain
I know we are animal lovers
Of that I do not disagree
But something doesn’t gel, it just doesn’t quite sell
When we cut up that animal for tea
Now a cat and a cow are the same
On this earth to enjoy without pain
But the cat becomes a pet while the cow you can bet
Ends up in our human food chain
Like a drug we’ve become so addicted
To meat on the shelving display
We forget the poor animal that gave up its life
To feed our addiction each day
Try detoxing yourself of this drug
Stay away from the addictive meat aisle
Try a lentil and vegetable nice cottage pie
Maybe steak just every once in a while
I know it’s not easy to do
But these animals do depend on you
To have a good life, no executioner’s knife
We’re animal lovers, yes, through and through
-DON MATTHEWS
Don is an Australian writer who focuses on humour. He runs the ‘Flippant, Comic, and Serious’ website.
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MasticadoresIndia // Editora: Terveen Gill 
Don’s poetry sheds light upon an issue that could be called hypocritical. Are only specific animals meant to be loved and certain ones meant to be devoured? What separates life forms into important and not so important? Some carrying meaning while they’re alive while others proving their worth when dead. There could be huge arguments for and against this. But if one just thinks on the most simplistic level, isn’t all life precious and worthy of thriving? I’m a vegetarian by choice though many are not. How about giving this poem a little thought?
Congratulations Don!
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I love all the little animated images you insert. This is a very important question, one in which we all have to answer by our actions. My husband is a pescatarian so I eat the same most of the time. However, I do crave a steak every once in a while, I can not lie about that. Nice piece and the comparison is so thought provoking. Have a great weekend. Hugs, Joni
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