A Turkey's Letter To Santa

Dearest Santa, it's to you I write To enlighten you about our plight Isn't the Christmas all about peace? If so you must listen to our pleas We are the turkeys, Grown for Christmas Genetically selected, fattened for meatiness Often in pain due to hip degeneration Cannot lift the feet in this situation When in a natural habitat, we can fly And roost in trees and watch the night sky But in the factory, overweight and over fed We shuffle along and cry in a dimly-lit shed. Lack of respect for nature's wisdom Profits have compromised birds' freedom Male birds are brutally manhandled And the beaks are partially amputated Mother turkeys are inhumanely violated Yet, they never see their eggs hatched The little ones never know the mother's touch How can the man be as cruel as such? The eggs are taken, as they are laid To be hatched in an incubator, man made When hatched, they are kept in large units Thousands packed together for mega profits Dearest Santa, I am not exaggerating There is much cruelty in factory farming Slaughter is another harrowing process Some have long journeys, crammed into crates. Now that you know our story of woe Dearest Santa, may I please ask you Point a way forward for the human world Toward a society that cultivates and uphold Values such as compassion and peace Only then this cruelty can cease At Christmas time when the world is at ease The children sing with joy and peace When you visit with gifts and greetings Whisper to them about our grievances It's too late now for my generation But, the future adults may see liberation