No Sweetness in Your Sweetbread
There is no sweetness
in your sweetbread,
kindness was not
on the menu
Truth’s restraining order
already filed by advertising
Designed to keep
us in the dark,
the very way
we keep our victims
Happily in compliance,
we draw smiles on the faces
of those whose milk
and babies
we stole
So our cartons sell,
so our bellies fill
with the delicious taste
of self-deception
The Laughing Cow
brand spreadables
because having your
babies killed
is hilarious
Our cruelty now
self-certified
as humane
The feel-good labels,
like your Oscar Mayer,
are nothing but
baloney
Shepherd’s Pie,
the way a good shepherd
tends their flock
as they lead them
to slaughter
Pretending we care
Pretending party franks
were a party
for those
slowly simmering
Dogs in a sweater,
Pigs in a poncho
or cozily snuggled in a blanket,
Because isn’t their death cute
when you dip it
in mustard
A side of hushpuppies,
like we didn't make
all the animals
hush
Chicken a la King,
if the king in question
were Louis the Sixteenth,
head rolling, like theirs
onto the ground
Happy Family,
as the animals gather
to celebrate their
glorious reunion
in brown sauce
Triple Delight
sounds better
than Triple Murder
Bangers may sound fun,
but they are all
Blood Sausages
Any Moons over
your Hammy went dark
long ago
Sunny side up,
because the side
facing down is where
the blood drips
Chicken breasts,
chicken wings,
conveniently missing
the s apostrophe,
so we can deny they had
previous ownership
Dropping by the billions
to the daggers of
our callous disregard
After all,
we still pride
ourselves in killing
the maximum number of birds
with the minimum stones
Written November 25, 2020