Safe?

[Hawkman]

In these latitudes of attitude
I cannot find my way,
where eating meat is frowned upon
and veggies are all grey.

They’re modified genetically,
or so the pundits say,
they’ll lead to foul mutations
in a Frankensteinian way.

Pre-packed full of additives
like colour, salt and fat,
I don’t believe I need to feed
on nasty stuff like that.

But sadly there is nothing else,
I either eat or die,
and as I cannot grow my own,
I just sit down and cry.

The countryside is poisoned,
the animals diseased,
the water isn’t fit to drink -
can’t wait ‘til I’m deceased.

[blank|verse]

The Sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray...!

and as I cannot grow my own,
if you don't have a garden, ask your local council about allotments. If not, find a plot of land that's available locally and ask the council to turn it into allotments. It happens (there's a website about it somewhere in the inter-ether).

As for the poetry, while I agree with the message, it's a bit too direct (and seemingly, quickly written) to count among your better works, as I'm sure you'd admit, H-man. It needs a spark of invention to transform it into the magical world of poetry. I would say.

[Bar22do]

In these latitudes of attitude
I cannot find my way,
where eating meat is frowned upon
and veggies are all grey.

They’re modified genetically,
or so the pundits say,
they’ll lead to foul mutations
in a Frankensteinian way.

Pre-packed full of additives
like colour, salt and fat,
I don’t believe I need to feed
on nasty stuff like that.

But sadly there is nothing else,
I either eat or die,
and as I cannot grow my own,
I just sit down and cry.

The countryside is poisoned,
the animals diseased,
the water isn’t fit to drink -
can’t wait ‘til I’m deceased.

Wow, the conclusion is too radical, hopefully only ironical! You could look for the documentary by Coline Céreau "Local Solutions for the Global Disorder" ("Les Solutions locales pour un désordre global") - it would answer your - every enjoyable - poem! Specialists discussing the matter in this film show how easy it is to adopt the way of healthy nutrition, at low cost, delicious and earth friendly! So there is a way indeed!

and in the meantime -

I thank you for the pleasure I took in reading another one of your apparently light, but reaching deep, delightful subject-poems!

Thanks Hawkman - Best - Bar

[hillwalker]

Having a bad day, Hawk?

It's a neat poem, almost like a nursery rhyme until your final pair of verses makes us all begin to question the point of it all.
I trust your tongue is more firmly in your cheek than this rather desperate 'cry for help' suggests.

[Hawkman]

Actually B/V this is as much of a tirade against the purveyors of the doom message as rant about the message itself. I had my Dorothy Parker head on when I wrote it.

Bar, Thanks again for your indugence of my caustic wit, such as it is, and I'm glad it brought you pleasure. I will keep an eye out for the film, though where to find it?

hill, I'm afraid I was at home to Mr. Grumpy today but Miss Satire gave me the means to oust him.

Best to all H

[Delta40]

very well expressed. I sometimes think the aftermath of world war triggered the fast food nation..

[Hawkman]

Well, We had fish'n chips long before the first one as well as winkle stands, etc. I would guess these were the original fast-foods. Intensive farming methods were certainly instigated by the need to produce, especially in the UK where rationing due to U-boat depredation of maritime trade routes was a driving factor. For the rest of it, greed is as much to blame I think, although GM foods were developed to try to ease food shortages by making strains more hardy to adverse environmental conditions and generally increase yield. It's a complex issue with no easy answers.

Best, H

[J.D. Sparks]

It's weird how so-called "light verse" can be so darkly humourous. Which is to say: I liked this poem because I love some adept dark humour. Which is also to say that I thought your last line came through well enough as tongue-in-cheek, mostly because it was said in such an off-hand, almost lazy ('cause) way with the "deceased" adding a bit of absurd irony to it.

[Hawkman]

JD, Thanks for stopping by with your message of support :)

I'm glad you found my mischievous missive to your taste. I always have a little song in mind, which was the constant refrain of a character called, "The Prophet," in an old Cary Grant film, "Operation Petticoat," which went as follows:

"You can't win, my friend, you can't win,
you can't win, so don't even try.
If you're lucky enough to live through today,
tomorrow you will die."

best, H

[MorpheusSandman]

As direct as it is I still think it's a very relevant piece about a very relevant contemporary issue (and I usually hate poetry about contemporary issues). But there is certainly an epidemic that's proliferated through processed foods. If you ever watch any of the number of documentaries on them they're almost enough to put you off food altogether. It's quite sickening what's being done.

[dizzydoll]

Some very important points your poem brings up. Its a sign of the times, no time for quality anymore... only quantity and greasy hamburgers, aggg..how revolting.

You never disappoint Hawk. :coolgleamA:

[Hawkman]

Thanks Morpheus and diz,

The Sporting Man’s Lament

Deer are delicious,
I ate Bambi’s mum,
wild duck’s delectable,
I love it in my tum.
Pheasant is phenomenal
and so is partridge too,
basically I’ll kill and eat
anything that moves.

Wild game is good for you,
cholesterol is low,
it keeps you thin and healthy
or so the tests have shown.
Although I like to shoot it,
the feather and the fur,
the pellets tend to break your teeth
so Hawking I prefer.

But bunnies now have Myxi,*
or VHD that’s worse,
which really makes them bad to eat,
our wildlife is cursed.
There’s TB in the deer herds,
the streams are all polluted;
with pesticides in wild birds
my larder’s been denuded.

* Myxomatosis and VHD (viral hemorrhagic disease) are highly infectious and usually horribly fatal to rabbits.

[hillwalker]

Yummy, Hawk. You really know how to tickle the taste buds.

I'm surprised you didn't expand on the theme to include more about fish - factory farmed salmon versus wild?
Or perhaps that will follow in your next post.

Bon apetit,
H

[Hawkman]

Sorry hill, my angling days are long past and as I have never flown an Osprey or a Fish Eagle, the piscine population play little part in my pottage! Fur and feather fill my freezer, or did. ;)

Cheers, h

[lallison]

I want to say this is humerus, but its a very dark humor. The crying out against genetically modified food isn't nearly as big in the US as Europe. I haven't decided if that is good or bad, and your poem doesn't help with such mugwumping. I did watch a documentary on how modern farms mass produce meats, which was unpleasant. I'll have to read "The Jungle" one day. i wonder how much has changed since Sinclare's famous book. Anyhow, your poem makes one think and is enjoyable, even if it leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.
lal

[Hawkman]

Cheers, lall. I wonder what you made of the sportsman's lament, lol.

Best, h

[lallison]

I liked that one too. The roots of my family come from rural Alabama where hunting is just something everyone does. I love visiting my uncle and having bar-be-que deer tenderloin and other game. It's delicious. As far as pollution goes, its quite depressing. Every time I see what's going on in the Gulf of Mexico now it makes me cringe.