the parrot

The Parrot

The bird in the cage has featherless wings folded
to the naked body like squeaking scissors 
I'm 89 today let, me out of this bloody cage!
Its owner is hard of hearing, is the widow of a war
veteran, I think the First World War
She tells everyone she meets, 8 million horses and
12 million donkeys were killed on the battlefield and no one
took notice 
Humanity only thought of their suffering and were
impervious to animals' feelings, more, a wounded animal was eyed as a potential meal by hungry soldiers
Dragged from a green field to a soggy battlefield and
not a word of thank you
Goulash, the famous Hungarian dish, was made from horse 
flesh and camouflaged with paprika, pepper, and salt
for 89 years, the parrot had only been able to read 
the titles of books on the shelf on the opposite wall
It had a lively mind and listened to the radio every day
well educated can  squawk with the best of them
Copyright © | Year Posted 2023

Poem

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