do not whisper hushed lullabies

I’m newly born, I have arrived

but before I even open my eyes

sounds of scourged screams

a crimson massacre

hung upside down from beams

am I worth more?

born right into misery

I’m chilled to the bone

there’s a moon I’ll never know

& it’s dark

these chains I wear

deep digging scars

dragging across

a bloody frigid floor

my curious mind

can’t shake what’s behind steel doors

am I worth more?

I was just born.

I let my mother’s eyes rest in mine

as her aching heart is speared

I know they’ve done unspeakable things

to her just to get me here

am I worth more?

I am brand new

my first smell: death

my first taste: tears

before I could ever feel alive

I felt trauma, passed down for years

broken limbs, ripped apart

face down, hooves bound

pining to run untamed, unrestrained

but I cannot even turn around

will we be granted time

against this human discern?

my name is number 2179

after my brother, it is now my turn.

Their voices are deafening but we do not hear them

love they do

and care for kin

dance atop mountains to

laugh in the jungle but

cry for a soul to stop

the relentless slaughter

instead we

genetically modify

impregnate artificially

breed enslave pets too

fluid extractions

endless experimentation

destroy their habitats

cull for conservation

rodeo torture

cages and tanks and leashes

abort and sacrifice for religion

stuff for tradition

they are here to be free

just like you

just like me

born free never to be

in captivity

they cry out but no one hears them

I am a sentient being

I am not a burger, nugget or bacon

I am flesh and blood

I am not a sacrifice for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner

I Breathe

I Cry

I Laugh

I Play

I Suffer

I can be Curious and Clever

Compassionate and Kind

I am a celestial soul visiting earth

cloaked in this body

I am here to experience life unfold

and bask in its splendor

I do not wish to disappear

so mercilessly through your mouth

disguised in vain as filet mignon, foie gras, or pate.

I am Grace

I am a sentient being

It’s when we see their faces shift

It’s when we see their eyes fade

It’s when we feel their souls cry

That we look another way

That we continue on our day

It’s when we sit down for dinner

It's when we can't live without

It’s when mind and heart are disconnected

That we look another way

That we continue on our day

Before long our hearts become numb

Before long we can’t see their faces or hear their cries

Before long we have lost our way to help the voiceless

We have lost our way

I have never written a poem about veganism but I thought I would give it a shot. 

My hope is that someone feels where I’m coming from, maybe I can help strike a  nerve in just the right spot. 

I know it may seem a little harsh, these things I’m going to say. But part of me thinks it’s necessary to present information to people this way. 

These are just words coming out of my mouth, my intention is not to scare. 

But I believe very strongly we’re long overdue to free ourselves from the hooks of  American fare.  

Sometimes friends and family still give me a little heat. 

All from not blindly conforming to the norm, and saying no to meat. 

We all know what it feels like to fall into unhealthy patterns, but this is no place to  stay. 

Some folks don’t realize that it simply doesn’t have to be this way. 

Our mindless consumption is destroying our habitat causing things to get awfully  hairy. 

This sad and unnecessary process can subside the moment we ditch meat, eggs,  and dairy.

It’s high time we wake up and smell the addiction. 

We think we’re treating ourselves but in reality only feeding our affliction. 

Why give the craveability experts the upper hand, 

When we can say enough is enough and draw a line in the sand. 

There is immense wisdom in this simplicity we’re just not seeing. At zero cost to us we can improve our health and overall well-being. 

It’s a shame we have to watch our loved ones die early unnecessarily, When sometimes all that’s required is exposure to slight discomfort temporarily.  

It’s amazing to see just how quickly our taste preferences change, 

Not to mention the thrill of seeing our blood profile all go back in the normal  range. 

The United States pioneered this unsustainable path, 

More of us must get involved in changing direction or we may all soon feel the  wrath. 

We’re being inundated with misinformation by short sighted agendas from too  many voices, 

They’re being rewarded with profits by spreading lies about the worlds’ healthiest  food choices.

If I’m being honest this is frustrating to say the least, 

It’s as if we don’t care where our food comes from, we just want to sit down and  feast. 

We can start to improve our habits and build generational health, For this is the truest way to create long term wealth. 

We can make the change today and start enjoying the benefits very fast, Why stay stuck in yoyo dieting? This is a lifestyle that will last. 

Your body deserves better, all it knows how to do is heal, 

All you have to do is get out of your own way, this process can begin immediately, Starting with your next meal. 

We can start to tap into the enormous potential of our developed neocortex, 

And create a life of deeper meaning with a more wholesome vibrational reality  some call the vortex. 

We need to come together with a higher collective consciousness before it’s too  late. 

We can thrive at a much higher level and enjoy a much calmer, kinder, more  compassionate mind state.

I believe our disconnection to nature can be reclaimed through plant-based  nutrition, 

We can create the conditions to improve our own personal homeostasis, this is no  superstition. 

Money can’t buy what the truth takes away, 

Chew on that for a minute, there’s not much else to say.

I hope warm calming chamomile tea kisses your throat and intestinal tract.

SInce I been vegan, I been more connected to the Earth, 

more connected to myself 

and more connected to the future seeds.

My change of diet was not a choice,

But more like divine intervention,

Spiritually suspending me from my cheap vices

But public and private, 

so I’m forced to take action with the parts of me that secretly weren’t working 

and the parts of me that secretly were hurting.

In 2016, I damaged my knees and wasn’t able to walk or do anything outside of suffering.

The depression from the injury and financial instability began to do things throughout my body that I couldn’t see turning me into the alkaline vegan that’s gluten free,

But I only discovered that after weeks and months of vomiting food that I once loved to eat

But this was God’s plan, this was something bigger than me.

I wasn’t meant to live and grow off honeybuns, family packs of twizzlers, pizza and liquor.

Along with a lifetime of too many weekly cheeseburgers constipating my bowels, my vowels and what I allowed into my future.

I’m so much stronger now.

Especially when I keep up with my B12 and Iron supplements…

And ever since I been on this plant based journey.

I’m not as sicker

My hair and nails grow quicker

I lost interest in drugs and liquor &

I feel strength in knowing what I’m eating.

I feel strength in growing what I’m eating.

The recipes and tutorials be choking out my impatience but I’m grateful to be here. 

Learning meat substitutions has brought me many connections with whole hearted conscious eaters, holistic feeders and maybe one day a Sunshine lover who would love to treat her when they meet her.

Herbal remedies surround me and keep me feeling clean.

Fresh greens and scents so sweet….

Growing up off ramen noodles, hotdogs and whatever is in Sunny D,

I knew nothing of kale, tofu, turmeric, burdock root and chickpeas.

The diet change was a miracle.

I know that my ancestors and angels have joined together, 

to hold and squeeze my stomach and intestines tight to only be filled with natural nutrients and with all the healing hands over my tummy,

I feel full.

Someone is frying and sizzling, the aroma smells so good.

From a distance, the colorful parade looks like tasty food.

Something I would love to eat.

The doctor gave me a health scare which made me adjust in a heartbeat.

I skipped into the kitchen and grabbed a fork and plate.

I picked up a spoonful of green veggies, corn, and beans to celebrate