The Neglected Victims
By Melissa Tkachyk
An Animal Rights Poem from All-Creatures.org

All of God's creatures have rights, a fact that most people don't seem to recognize. This includes both human and non-human animals, but not all of them can speak for themselves.

The Neglected Victims
By Melissa Tkachyk

The monkeys eyelids are sewn shut, 
hairspray corrodes the rabbit's eyes. 
The experimenter is a ruthless killer, 
with a lab coat for a disguise.

They used to soar the sky, 
they used to roam the sea. 
But now kept in tanks and cages, 
they entertain you and me.

They used to spread their wings, 
for all the world to see. 
But now stand with thirty others, 
in a prison cell made for three.

They used to hunt and hide, 
they used to run for miles. 
But now raised in tiny crates, 
their skins are the latest styles.

Taken from his mother 
never will he see the sun. 
A tiny stall, no room to move, 
Veal anyone?

They can't fight wars like us, pollute the world like us, 
or create acid rain. 
But they love like us, cry like us, 
and they definitely can feel pain.


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