MEETING THEIR FATE.

[dadio]

Uncle said you can fed
the chickens and then

later you can choose
which one we have for

dinner tomorrow and he
went off to work someplace

leaving you to feed and fret
over which of the noisy hens

would meet their end by
Uncle’s hand and end up

as the Sunday roast sitting
among potatoes and parsnips

as each of the family widened
their eyes and licked their lips.

You walked up and down the
wire staring at each hen in turn

wondering which one deserved
to live or die but they all had that

chicken look that unconcerned air
of being and walking each one

settled on the next mouth feed
the next bite and so you wandered

off not knowing which hen would
meet their mortal fate that night.

[theirishsea]

I like this poem----it makes something as simple as a chicken dinner a momentous event & the kid is taught responsibility----whether the Uncle even thinks about it as a lesson or not. Which chicken do you choose to kill & eat? And this is an everyday event. I know there are Vegans etc but the majority of people (including me) don't have any qualms about eating chicken. This poem doesn't make me giveup eating chicken but it does make me think about personal responsibility &, in the case of the chickens, chance.

I think this is an amazing poem.

[dadio]

Thank you for reading & your insightful reply.