Surrendered Eyes
By Jerry Elmore Layne
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.

Surrendered Eyes
By Jerry Elmore Layne

Throw-aways, strays, cast-offs...
Kittens, Puppies, Dogs, Cats and oh, so many more.

A complete, inexcusable wasted loss of love, 
loyalty and friendship.
A loss to terrible fear.
A loss to shivers, to loud noise, to the banging of cages and 
... yes, a loss to hopelessness.

Adoption is so isolated. 
Life, in itself, is misery and loneliness.
The eyes, the eyes tell all. 
The watery, downhearted and surrendered eyes tell all.

A dog biscuit is passed-over for the simple 
act of a friendly pat on the head and a happy, loving voice.
Hot. Very hot and humid. 
Cold, Very cold and windy.
No grass, No sun. 
Concrete and Strangers of All Kinds.
Now, very afraid.

Now. It is the time for death. There is NO adoption.
And, please, do not say, 'putting to sleep,' 
for it is the last, few remaining 
moments on earth.

A kiss from me and an "I love you," and the injection begins.
...The surrendered eyes are .... forever closed 
and each and every, single one of these wonderful creatures 
breaks your heart."

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