Animal Rights Poetry and Prose By Heidi Coon from All-Creatures.org

Abernathy, a Toulouse Goose

Hi,

I am a Toulouse goose.

I stand tall and proud with feathers of a beautiful grey tapestry. From my regal neck to my sturdy webbed feet, I exude an air of grace & poise.

A lot of people find me intimidating because I am such a large bird. Some even say I am scary because it looks like I have teeth. It’s cartilage...I have some on my tongue, too. I use it to chew grass. No matter how daunting I might appear, I need to be protected from other animals, which includes your species.

I began my life, hatched from an egg, on a poultry farm in New England. I am what is referred to as a ‘meat breed’. I was raised on the farm specifically to become a holiday dinner.

A Christmas goose.

I lived with hundreds of other geese inside electric pens with no shelters.

The ground was packed down and barren. We were given no hay for nesting.

I saw the majority, before me, be taken from our pen as time went by.

One day, in early November, with only a few of us remaining someone came with a large cardboard box and took me, and another goose.

We were terrified.

But…………..

We were released into an acre of fenced in lawn, woods and rocks.

I had a lot to learn about this world. Like:

My name is Abernathy

Human hands aren’t all mean.

Airplanes aren’t going to harm me.

Dogs aren’t all predators..,I mean, sure, they’re jerks sometimes.

I have my own pool!

No matter how much I eat, there will always be food so i don’t have to eat fast or fight for my meals.

I have a goose friend, and 8 duck friends.

We have a heated winter bowl so we had water even when it’s freezing.

I like to eat snow and crunch ice

I like to chew on twigs and play with dog toys.

I am incredibly intelligent, & as a result I am very sensitive.

I am purely herbivorous.

I am funny

I am smart

I am loved

I have forgotten what it was like to be a nameless commodity.

©Heidi Coon, 2024

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