A Tale of Compassion

I was raised on a standard American diet

Used to think vegetarians and vegans a riot

How could anyone deny themselves all of the flavors?

And they probably aren’t doing their bodies any favors!

I considered myself a conscientious soul

Took pains to learn more about a zero waste goal

But never did I live the tale of a fairy

Meat is rough but it’s normal, natural, and necessary!

Until one day I read an alarming statistic

Twice the carbon footprint for meat eaters is realistic

And that’s where my compassionate journey begins

A longer, harder look at these weirdo vegans

A varied bunch did I greet, some salty, some sweet

Some with nothing in common except for no meat

But most had a vision of the world as a better place

Where animals are treated with a whole lot more grace

It soon became pretty clear that the real shame

Were the animals that would never be given a name

Or a breath of fresh air, a glimpse of the sun

A loving caress or a moment of fun

My heart broke a little when I saw the factory farms

The truth behind the pictures of family ranch charms

The devastation that lie all around these machines

Greed and apathy fueling the ongoing scenes

So I made a big choice and a lot of small changes

Was surprised how many friends suddenly turned into strangers

But I know in my heart that this is what’s right

That this world and these animals need us to fight

So I’ll continue to learn to cook vegan well

And I’ll talk about how these animals are living in hell

I’ll share my story and write so many more pages

And strive for the day we empty all of the cages