The Legacy
By Kristen Sharer
An Animal Rights Poem from All-Creatures.org

I am the face of hunger.
My every rib protrudes.
My eyes are hollow and sunken.
I know not when I will eat again.

I am the face of homelessness.
The summer sun is relentless.
Winter’s bitter wind leaves me numb.
I ache for a soft place to rest.

I am the face of the elderly.
Every day it is harder for me to care for myself.
My senses are dull now.
I long for a loved one to care for me.

I am the face of infancy.
My days are spent eating and sleeping.
I am totally helpless.
My devoted mother does the best she can for me.

I am the face of the sick.
Disease weakens me daily.
I feel myself grow weaker.
I may not make it thru the night.

I am the face of the frightened.
The world is an unfriendly place.
Trust can't be given easily
But no one wants to be scared all the time.

I am the face of the lonely.
My days are long and empty.
Nights are longer still.
My soul aches for companionship.

I am the face of hunger,
The homeless, the elderly, the infant,
The sick, the frightened, the lonely.

I am called stray, feral, nuisance, cur, mongrel, eyesore,
Filthy, dangerous, vicious.
I am just one of the tens of millions.

I am the legacy of man.