The Unpaid Circus Worker
By June Bird
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.

The Unpaid Circus Worker
By June Bird

Fun, excitement, balloons, colourful kites,
The circus is in town...oh what dizzying heights..
...the trapeze artists swing...the clowns
smile broadly and then feign rage...
but spare a thought for me....
I'm the one in the cage.

I'm here in 23 hours out of every 24,
there's nothing but bars and a padlock on the door.
Not an ounce of freedom but lots of fresh food,
if I was a household cat my owners would be sued.

My friend the elephant is so terribly sad;
what did he do to deserve this.. ? He was never bad..
He wears a cute hat and stands on one leg,
when once proud...now forced to beg.

I dream of running with the rest of my pride;
I dream of freedom... PLEASE be on my side ..
Understand my plight and think of me now and then -
all you animals lovers; children, ladies and men.

The circus comes and goes, we're off to another town I fear,
I lie down wishing my death would come...
another performance........another tear.

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