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Sovereign Living
| Open Poetry #38 |
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Sovereign Living |
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Susan Lampe New Member
since 2006-08-05
Posts 2Washington |
Chicken Day At Carey's Summer dawn lightens skies as night creatures scurry to beds. The black cat lands—thump--on our bedroom balcony. Night over for her, sleep beckons. Bird wings flutter in bush and tree. We rise, dress. He rounds the fryers-- fifteen fattened, red beaks, sharp black eyes rivet on me inside the car. Penned, they huddle, white feathers glossy, fluffed. “They’re close,” I say to my husband. “For comfort,” he responds. “We trusted you.” Their eyes hold mine. “You played Mozart, brought us home as chicks, remember?” Betrayal throttles me. “Reincarnate,” I tell them quietly. “Be a cat or a layer next time.” “We can keep you longer.” I visualize a world where food appears magically, no one gets killed so someone else can eat. At Carey’s farm, the gate is open, ten are gathered, including two children. At 7:30 we—the farmer, his wife, her mother, the children, three dogs and a cat— begin the slaughter. The handyman brings a defeather machine in his orange truck. A woman from Argentina dips carcasses in boiling water after her husband chops chicken heads. Two men comfort each white bird. Some stretch their necks to the block willingly Others squawk and fuss; Many run wildly to nowhere, headless. The men guzzle vodka, beer, red wine. Most of us, city folks, require fortification. We women chop legs, remove innards-- I am a “fine cleaner,” and drop carcasses into cold well water in trash buckets. By ten, our backs ache. We stretch or sit on coolers occasionally. Blood is everywhere. My husband’s khaki pants are spattered. An unidentifiable smell permeates everything. Buzzards circle the river valley below dipping through a sky laced with frothy clouds. “How much longer?” The men drink more wine, more beer, more vodka. “Forty,” Carey says. “Forty more.” “One third left.” By 2:30, birds are cleaned and tucked into freezers. How did we come to this? Chicken Day? Adaptation Knowledge Desire to know where our food comes from. Pollution, chemicals We know the commerce process-- birds in boxes, never outside, no grazing, no fondling, no love, poop dropped one box to the one below, birds hung upside down and slaughtered while still alive, packed neatly for grocery stores with smiles. When we eat our fryers we know there is a love consciousness inside. Susan Glenn Lampe - Author |
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| © Copyright 2006 Susan Glenn Lampe - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Ye gads, but you took me home again. We only had a small flock of chickens, and if they didn't lay, became supper... it was the way it was, because it was all we had at the time. Yes, you brought me home again, all the way down to the heat of the day, and the smell in the air...and those wet feathers... and the headless running... Excellent work, Susan. Welcome to Passions! Please, check your email for a Very Special Greeting! |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
A most interesting write! I so much enjoyed the read. Can't wait to read from from you. Welcome to Passions! ~Smiles & Hugs, Nancy~ For it was not into my ear you whispered |
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Marge Tindal 
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Susan~ Welcome to PiP~ Um, I'll read your next one all the way through, I promise~ Just kinda got a rolling tummy on this one ... hmmm, guess that makes you a pretty gosh-darned good poet, huh ?  Visited your website ... and will return to peruse it more~ *Huglets*  ~*Marge*~ ~*The sound of a kiss is not as strong as that of a cannon, but it's echo endures much longer*~ |
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artexeres Member
since 2006-08-01
Posts 156south africa |
allow me to savour this awhile, i will post again later, this is a super piece and needs to be digested, although i dont know that chicken is on the menu for now at least.lol. i have seiously been thinking of this topic for awhile so therefor appreciate the write |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
A wonderfully written piece. Welcome to Passions. I know I'll enjoy your well written thoughtful posts. Having seen this scene before, it still makes me cringe to read about the 'processing' procedures, and remember another reason I became a vegetarian. But I don't rant about anyone else's food choices, and appreciate your 'apologies' to those feathered creatures. It's quite true, the commercial rearing and slaughtering of animal foods is even far more brutal, and the pretty packaging can't change that. |
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aziza Member Elite
since 2006-07-09
Posts 2995Lumpy Oatmeal makes me Crazy! |
Been there too. I didn't play them Mozart though. But, I did feel the sense of betrayal. This is most good. Welcome. aziza |
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seraphin Senior Member
since 2000-09-24
Posts 1004Michigan |
Welcome, welcome, welcome! A very eye opening read! You handled it so very well! I look forward to other posts from you. |
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The Lady Member Rara Avis
since 2005-12-26
Posts 7634The Southwest |
Susan, where have you been hiding? I have been waiting to read this poem you write a great picture feeling welcome! |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
Hi, Susan! Welcome to Passions. I had a hard time eating chicken before I read this! Now it's triple yuk for me! ~ You certainly can write descriptively! Warm, welcoming hug, Earth Angel |
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Kristabell Senior Member
since 2003-11-29
Posts 678Portland, OR |
This is good. Cannot wait for more. Welcome to Passions! Kristabell "Use your imagination not to scare yourself to death but to inspire yourself to life." |
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