Animal
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Animal
Rights
Online

Poetry

Peace Now
(a vegan rap poem) by [email protected]

You talk about peace, / how to find it at last
In a world of equality / comin' to pass
But we are the rulers, / we are the kings
Death-squad marauders / to billions of beings

PEACE NOW!

They suffer and feel / like you and like me
But they're hidden away, / we pretend we don't see
Jammed in their cages, / restricted in crates
Never knowin' why / until it's too late
It's happenin' now, / they're writhing in pain
But their screams we don't hear, / don't feel any shame
Just smile as we shop / for their eggs and their milk
And talk about peace / as we dine with our ilk

PEACE NOW!

"Justice," we cry, / "The war's gotta stop!"
But we kill every day / from up here on top
Our life is a joke, / our soul is all bare
Our politics are bankrupt / because we don't care
We think we're so radical, / we think we're so chic
But our bleeding hearts / they absolutely reek
Of two-faced hypocrisy / of word and of deed
Ignorin' the sufferin' / we bring as we eat

PEACE NOW!

And all of our words / they sound oh so nice
As long as we don't look / at the horrible price
We make all the animals / pay in this war
Of human supremacy / we wage from afar
Stop wringin' your hands! / No crocodile tears!
Why, animal abuse / has been happenin' for years!
But we don't care / an' we don't mind
We just wanna talk / about our OWN kind

PEACE NOW!

Human supremacy: / disease of the left
The right, and the center, / totally bereft
Can't stomach no prissy / concern for oppressed
No talk about peace-- / well surely you jest!

PEACE NOW!

We talk of equality / a terrible bore
Snuffin' out lives / when we go to the store
The things that we do / talk louder than words
And now you can see / we're really absurd
We LIKE to have servants / and animal slaves
And we could care less / how they go to their graves
But a movement's afoot / and before it's too late
Wake up, my friend, / or be left in the wake!

PEACE NOW!

Well, intimacy's / the word of the day
We cuddle and hug / and that's o.k.
But what about the animals / on our plate?
In our lovin' minds / how do THEY rate?
They like to touch, / play, be free
And make sweet love / like you and me
They don't wanna die / or be encaged
And you ask me why / I feel enraged!

PEACE NOW!

If THEY did to us / like WE do to them
We'd understand well / what now is dim
But we've got the power, / we've got the guns
And we've got the words / that let us run
From reality / of what we do
Of who we hurt, / of who we chew
But underneath / the pretense and games
You know it well, / we're causin' pain

PEACE NOW!

You're vegetarian / or so you say
But what's that food there / on your tray:
Breasts and legs, / dismembered parts
Of animals killed / for you, dear heart
Y'know chickens and fish / try to get away
From the hook an' knife / that we pay
For bloody work / that WE won't do
So cop to the violence / that's done for you!

PEACE NOW!

And it's not for need / we know it well
It's just a habit / we refuse to quell
We're bound to reap / the pain we sow
In eco-death / or atomic glow
What goes out / comes back around
And we're not gainin' / any ground
It's just OUR kind / that we respect
With bloody heel / on OTHERS' necks

PEACE NOW!

I know it's easy, / it's so quick
It's so convenient / just to pick
It off the shelf, / out of the can
And cook it up / in the fryin' pan
And it's not easy, / never been yet
To change old habits / firmly set
Oppression past / has left its mark
On us today / as we embark
On the path / of healing peace
Of letting go, / of violence ceased

Come now and join / the growin' wave
Of gentle dining, / lovin' brave
Of no more sayin' / we're number one
Of takin' our place / under the sun
Of equality / and respect for life
As we lay down / the butcher knife
And learn to live / and learn to love
And not to kill / the peaceful dove
It's possible now / you know it can be
It all depends / on you and me

PEACE NOW!
___________________________

PEACE NOW!: A vegan rap poem
Copyright (c) 1988, 1996 by Billy Ray Boyd
<[email protected]
(Previous version circulated as PEACE CREEP!)

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