This Cruel World
By Ruth Ockendon Laycock
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.

This Cruel World
By Ruth Ockendon Laycock

A tiny insect,
How does it feel
To be carelessly crushed
Under a heel?

A beautiful flower
Trying to grow,
Pulled up by its roots.
Does it know?

A carefree bird
Up in the sky,
Shot by a gun.
Does it wonder why?

A fox in a panic,
Nowhere to run,
Chased by a huntsman
For pleasure and fun.

A cat in a lab,
Wondering why
No one around
Hears it cry.

A cruel world
Right from the start.
The things people do
Must break God's heart!

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