Return From the Land of Denial
By Kerry Phillips
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.

Return From the Land of Denial
By Kerry Phillips

Tradition is the exhausted shield,
Which covers the eyes
That will not see
Circus elephants beat.

Gluttony is the horrendous shield,
Which protects the nose 
That will not smell
Slaughtered cows on the floor.

Apathy is the virulent shield,
Which covers the ears
That will not hear
The screams of lab monkeys.

Ignorance is the misconceived shield,
Which protects the mouth
That will not taste
Urine in Premarin.

Covetousness is the pompous shield,
Which covers the hands
That will not feel 
The fear of leg-trapped lynx.

Empathy is the true caravan
Which brings one back
To become a shield
For the tortured beings.

Return to: Animal Rights Poetry