Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Noa Shakargy

THE MEAT INDUSTRY

We the creatures born to the meat industry
Are cast as we hatch
Into darkened family storehouses
Where we spend our short lives.

Our growth is unnaturally expedited due to
Genetic cultivation causing over 90%
Of us to suffer
Handicaps, miscarriages and chronic diseases.

As we grow, so does our density,
And we need to tread on each other
On our way to the food.

Suffering is enhanced
Due to conditions of transportation
And candles on cakes
To be blown out.
During conveyance, sprains
And chest and wing fractures occur
As well as aspirations for freedom
And suffocation by the world's certainty.
Many drop out every year
In transit from playpen to deathbed.
The remaining ones
Are brought to the slaughterer
To have their throats cut, then
Are tossed to bleed and seize
In a pail of pain
Or hung by their shoes on the conveyor belt,
Flying in their dreams.

We die conscious
For a few minutes due to hope flowing to the brain
From peripheral blood vessels.

תעשיית הבשר

תעשיית הבשר

אֲנַחְנוּ הַנּוֹלָדִים לְתַעֲשִׂיַּת הַבָּשָׂר
מֻשְׁלָכִים עִם בְּקִיעָתֵנוּ
לְמַחְסָנִים מִשְׁפַּחְתִּיִּים חֲשׂוּכֵי חַלּוֹנוֹת
שָׁם נְבַלֶּה אֶת חַיֵּינוּ הַקְּצָרִים.

גְּדִילָתֵנוּ מְהִירָה וּבִלְתִּי טִבְעִית —
הַטִּפּוּחַ הַגֶּנֶטִי גּוֹרֵם לְכָךְ שֶׁמֵּעַל 90%
מֵאִתָּנוּ סוֹבְלִים
מִנָּכֻיּוֹת, הַפָּלוֹת וּמַחֲלוֹת קָשׁוֹת.

עִם הַגְּדִילָה, הַצְּפִיפוּת עוֹלָה
וְאָנוּ נֶאֱלָצִים לִדְרֹךְ זֶה עַל זֶה
כְּדֵי לְהַגִּיעַ לַמָּזוֹן.

סֵבֶל זֶה מִתְעַצֵּם
בְּשֶׁל תְּנָאֵי הַהוֹבָלָה
וְנֵרוֹת עַל עוּגוֹת
שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְכַבּוֹת.
בְּמַהֲלַךְ הַשִּׁנּוּעַ, נִגְרָמִים נְקָעִים
וּשְׁבָרִים בֶּחָזֶה וּבַכְּנָפַיִם
כְּמוֹ גַּם צָמָא לְחֹפֶשׁ
וּמַחֲנָק מִוַּדָּאוּת הָעוֹלָם.
רַבִּים נוֹשְׁרִים בְּכָל שָׁנָה
מִלּוּל הַתִּינוֹקוֹת אֶל הַמִּיתָה,
הַנּוֹתָרִים
מוּבָאִים אֶל הַשּׁוֹחֵט
הַחוֹתֵךְ אֶת צַוָּארָם וּמֵטִיל
אוֹתָם לְדַמֵּם וּלְפַרְכֵּס
לְתוֹךְ דְּלִי
אוֹ כְּשֶׁהֵם תְּלוּיִים בְּנַעֲלֵיהֶם מִמַּסּוֹעַ,
מְעוֹפְפִים בַּחֲלוֹמוֹת.

אָנוּ גּוֹסְסִים בְּהַכָּרָה
מִסְפַּר דַּקּוֹת עֵקֶב זְרִימַת תִּקְוָה לַמֹּחַ
מִכְּלֵי דָּם הֶקֵּפִיִּים.

 
Close

THE MEAT INDUSTRY

We the creatures born to the meat industry
Are cast as we hatch
Into darkened family storehouses
Where we spend our short lives.

Our growth is unnaturally expedited due to
Genetic cultivation causing over 90%
Of us to suffer
Handicaps, miscarriages and chronic diseases.

As we grow, so does our density,
And we need to tread on each other
On our way to the food.

Suffering is enhanced
Due to conditions of transportation
And candles on cakes
To be blown out.
During conveyance, sprains
And chest and wing fractures occur
As well as aspirations for freedom
And suffocation by the world's certainty.
Many drop out every year
In transit from playpen to deathbed.
The remaining ones
Are brought to the slaughterer
To have their throats cut, then
Are tossed to bleed and seize
In a pail of pain
Or hung by their shoes on the conveyor belt,
Flying in their dreams.

We die conscious
For a few minutes due to hope flowing to the brain
From peripheral blood vessels.

THE MEAT INDUSTRY

We the creatures born to the meat industry
Are cast as we hatch
Into darkened family storehouses
Where we spend our short lives.

Our growth is unnaturally expedited due to
Genetic cultivation causing over 90%
Of us to suffer
Handicaps, miscarriages and chronic diseases.

As we grow, so does our density,
And we need to tread on each other
On our way to the food.

Suffering is enhanced
Due to conditions of transportation
And candles on cakes
To be blown out.
During conveyance, sprains
And chest and wing fractures occur
As well as aspirations for freedom
And suffocation by the world's certainty.
Many drop out every year
In transit from playpen to deathbed.
The remaining ones
Are brought to the slaughterer
To have their throats cut, then
Are tossed to bleed and seize
In a pail of pain
Or hung by their shoes on the conveyor belt,
Flying in their dreams.

We die conscious
For a few minutes due to hope flowing to the brain
From peripheral blood vessels.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère