All for the love of a chicken-
I was gravely stricken
with a grief beyond my years...
His sweet little body
got stuck in my refrigerator
and this is my story of woe...
For I was a young child of eight
who just couldn't wait
to have a little chick of my own...
He followed me around
I was his mommy so sound
and I wanted to see him full grown...
He always ate off my plate
slept in a box by my bed until late
In the morning he'd chirp me awake...
Then, I'd cuddle him in my hands
For as long as a child can
His soft fuzziness against my cheek...
Then one horrible day
before my violin lesson to play
I opened the refrigerator for bread...
I swear I didn't know
He was seeking crumbs from below
I shut the door on his poor, sweet head...
I screamed and I cried
and my mother did lie
that maybe he would recover...
I know this sounds silly
all the ranting and raving
but the Marquis de Sade did no better...
For he had a duck as a lad
Who was served on a platter
and he never was the same ever since...
I'm not like the Marquis de Sade
but it does make me wonder
about the bond between animal and child...
A bond so precious and true
and I will never eat chicken in my stew
and that is my final answer!
This really happened to me as a child...and it always haunts me. I know that to some of you, it may seem ridiculous, but this was like my first child. It is one reason, among many others, why I don't eat chicken.
A contest entry
- Memories of Animals - How they Live and Die by Judith Chandler.
525 points, ended January 13, 2008, 10 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 46 of 46
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well written. good rhythm. sorry this happened to you as a child. i had something similar but to a duck . congrats on getting a trophy. thank you for sharing your talent. keep writing poet! God bless you always
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Karen, very sad and tragic story, Hon.. I too, had a similar incidence happen, when my pet rabbit was consigned to the stew pot by mistake.. It wasn't until after dinner was over that we realized what had happened and I've never eaten rabbit again in my life and never will! So I truly understand your poem..
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Hey, I think I have a pretty good idea of how this feels. My bunny was like my first child, especially since I became her 'mommy' when she was two weeks old - long story that I won't go into here. But yes, to a lot of people it sounds ridiculous; and a few of us understand. My bunny had a sudden and awful death - still have a terrible empty hole in my heart - and I get antagonized and teased because I won't eat rabbit!
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SO SAD!
I also have had happen in my youth bad things to my pets.
And to this day I remember those terrible happenings so well
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I agree that children and animals have a special bond. You've depicted it well, the love and care you gave the chicken and the way you felt responsible for its accidental death.
I like the form you have used though there is the occasional problem with the flow.
Thank you for your entry. -
This was a very great piece. When I was a child we had a parrokeet that died and I found it when I woke up in the morning and went running to its cage excited to take it out and feed it only to find it stiff... I have never owned another bird since... It was very tragic for child and I dont want a repeat performance. Thank you for sharing
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This was really quite creative and intriguing... you really drew me into this piece. Thank you for sharing and best wishes to you. Keep that pen handy dear poet. ~Midnight Lace
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Thats a sad story, reminds me of when I was younger and went up the garden, to put the water feeder on the rabbit cage... But my rabbit had pushed his head through a gap in the cage and strangled himself... Damn still remember it like yesterday!! So I know how you feel about this one.
Nice write
All the best
~T.S~
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Awwwwwww.... i really enjoyed this it was a breath of fresh air and made me realize the bond my daughter has with her kitten that i am thinking about finding a new home for.. man what do i do?
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i enjoyed reading this poem it was reall well writin
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This almost made me cry... how sad it was! I completely understand your feelings, even though this has never happened to me. I just feel the same way about the bond between animal and child, like you said.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
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At first, I thought it'd be cute -- as it was, in some strange way -- but that was incredibly sad. Poor thing. I understand why you still cry about it & why it haunts you.
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This was really sweet and fun to read. 4/5*
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the poem was very well done and i enjoyed it
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That's horrible (the situation I mean. The poem's quite good). I can't imagine the sickening feeling that must've passed through you.
Anyhoo...even though the subject matter must've been difficult to deal with, you pulled it off brilliantly. It interested me to see stanzas of three lines rather than the regular four. And the "..." at the end of each caught my eye b/c it made it seem like you were either sighing or gulping a sob like a little child. I may be completely out to lunch on that one, but there it is. Great poem
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Yes, and I still get that sickening feeling when I think about it.
Thank you for your compliments about my poem and your sharp input.
For some reason, I wrote this poem in stanzas of triplets. I can't say exactly why... I guess it's what felt right for this specific poem. I write in a lot of other styles as well.
You are right about the sobbing child... especially the "gulping", as you put it. Very astute! Come to think of it, as I wrote this poem, there was that little child inside of me struggling to catch her breath between the sobs and communicating this. I had been doing some "Inner Child" work when I wrote this poem.
Thanks again for all of your feedback!
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even though this is written in a bit of a humorous way, i still could not really laugh....bottom line is that I can only imagine how heartbroken you must have been as a child when this happened. If we allow ourselves to be perceptive we can love and feel loved by any creature of this earth and yes bond with a chicken or baby chick as well. I can understand that this has remained with you throughout the years as one of life's traumatic experiences,
reenie
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Thank you for that validation. And you're right...it was very traumatic, and still is. Often I catch myself crying about it even now, when it all comes back to me so clearly. That little girl that was so devastated by it...and her poor little baby...her chick.
Although it's true that I wrote this poem with some light-hearted qualities about it, I was hoping it would touch some not-so- sympathetic people through "reverse psychology" and they might see that, yes, we can bond with any animal...like you said so well yourself, "If we allow ourselves to be perceptive we can love and feel loved by any creature of this earth and yes bond with a chicken or baby chick as well." Beautifully, stated...and it is the truth.
A friend of mine is doing a contest for poems about, Animal Welfare, and I also am an advocate...You wouldn't believe some of the cruel and sarcastic input we get. Most people are kind and understanding though, like you...
My poem was written with them in mind...with a little satire, and to show them that we are not the stupid "chickens" that they think we are...and yes, I love chickens whether they think it's folly or not!
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I feel guilty laughing at this because it is so sad, but its soooooooo funny. I'm so sure it was traumatizing as a child to shut your pets head in the refridgerator door, but to look back at it as an outsider is pretty damn funny!! lol.. I'm sorry this happened to you, but the poem was really well written and put together nicely, and I always say:
"sometimes the best poems come from the worst experiences"
Dont know what else to say but great write!!! lol...
CCX -
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You are right...and I still cry about it sometimes too. Can you believe that?!
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Very Heartfelt...
I feel your loss.
I had a ducky when I was little and many chickens.
and a tragic experience happend. I was taught that
their destination was the table.
Lo-Amo Salute!!! -
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I know...I just would like to see them treated better. That's all. It's my personal choice not to eat them myself. It's not my place to condemn others' for eating them...but they deserve a good, decent life while they are alive...not in small cages, not having their beaks seared off, not over-crowded and diseased living conditions, etc, etc...This would be healthier for people that eat them too...
Thank you for your comment...and it's a cruel world, isn't it?!
Karen
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awww your poor chicken, and poor you. The attachment we make to animals when young is very strong so it's natural to feel very upset when we lose them but even more so if we have some hand in their demise.
This poem also has a lot of humour in it and I wasn't sure whether I was laughing or wanting to help you out of your sadness when I read it.
I like it for it's ease of reading and it's content. Great write -
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You are so right...and thank you for understanding. Although I wrote it in a kind of light-hearted style...there was, in fact...a lot of sadness there.
Your comment was much appreciated, and thank you for your comfort. As an adult, it still bothers me...that's the child in me that never got over it. I still see, and feel it all so clearly!
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this is a really cute poemand it brings a smile upon my face, my faorite line is "I know this sounds silly
all the ranting and raving
but the Marquis de Sade did no better...
For he had a duck as a lad
Who was served on a platter
and he never was the same ever since...
I'm not like the Marquis de Sade
but it does make me wonder
about the bond between animal and child..."
just thing=king about it makes me laugh.
PLEASE return the favor I would really appriciate it.
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P.S.
This poem was also being written from a child's perspective, in some ways...as well. -
This poem, although written in a somewhat light-hearted way...was actually based on an event that was very traumatic for me as a child. I know that it came across as a little comical...which was partly intended, but also to make people think about it as well, persons who don't quite comprehend the bonds between people and animals.
And it's true, the Marquis de Sade did have a pet duck as a child that he loved dearly, that was slaughtered and served to him for dinner, and he didn't find out until after he ate the poor critter.
This twisted his mind, psychologically, as well as other horrendous things that he lived through during the French Revolution...one of them was witnessing a man being drawn and quartered by horses- a favorite and gruesome form of execution in those times.
I know all of this from reading a biography about him, that analyzed his life from a psychological point of view. It was quite interesting, yet tragic...this man.
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animals love is always a part of us animal lovers
sad this happen
but at least you knew true love even then
wonder sad poem
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Very Good
Not only is this poem really cute, but it is well written. I really enjoyed the story behind it and all of the words you chose to use.
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haha...but aw
my son's friend had a hamster that he shut a drawer on.
it's a shame, really.
When we were looking for a dog, I dreamed of this little miniature pinscer(sp?) but the terraces in our apartment are sky-high, like 15 floors up, and made of wrought iron bars. Little things might fall through...we now have a staffordshire bull terrier, and still don't allow her on the terraces by herself.
Living with humans is dangerous for every living thing!
a cool little rhyme from a clear memory. Thanks Karen! -
Our pets are always very important to us so this must have been a very distressing experience for you. This poem showed your sadness but also brought a little humour to ease the situation. This was a good personal write.
Thanks for your comment
Pozo
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A very long story but undestandable. I like tis poem for its clearness expressed very well. A nice write. One would love to read this.
this was nice -
Wow. I guess people do love chickens. Though its odd for me since I've always been afraid of them because I was chased by a headless one as a child of 7. Your poem is humorous and brings a smile to my face.
Noe -
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The poem wasn't meant to be funny... Maybe in a macabre sort of way. Your experience sounds even more scary because it appeared to come after you. I'm sure it wasn't, or maybe...who knows.
Most of the people that have read this poem think it sad. Your input was different, and it's interesting to get varying points of view.
Things that happen to children at that impressionable age really do influence them and sticks in their minds forever.
Yours made you afraid of chickens, mine made me care for them. What happened to you would scare me also, even now.
Thank you for reading my poem...
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Awfully sad
Must have been quite traumatic at the time and understandably still haunts you. Being an animal lover myself I can feel your distress. The poem was well written and even though humorous, still very sad. Well done. Julie.
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Thanks for sharing this thought provoking piece here! I do not think it is ridiculous at all.
You almost made me cry, at least my eyes are a bit wet now... This poem contains a message that should be heard by everyone!
Keep up the excellent work!
Annie
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I am grateful for your thoughtful reply. You are sweet. I will be sure to return the favor tomorrow. Right now it is 1:00 in the morning where I live and I need to get some shut-eye. Back to the writing, and reading, board in the morning!
Regards,
Karen
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poor little chick.
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This is so sad!
I grew up on a farm, and I know what it's like to become attached to an animal and then lose them, whether from a freak accident or old age or anything in between.
I am very, very attached to the animals I have now...I feel terrible when I accidentally step on a cat's tail, let alone anything so traumatic as this!
I really feel your poem should be a serious write, the humor not necessary. It has the potential to really relate to people how tight the human/pet bond can be, and how something such as this could (and for you, did!) affect your life forever afterward. Ask yourself this question: If this were about a cat or a dog, would I feel it necessary to qualify it with humor? Just because it is a chicken and not an animal most people would keep as a pet, does not make it silly that you cared so much for it. I think most people will understand this also, and for the few who don't...well, that is their loss, that they probably have not ever experienced this kind of bond and love between human and animal.
Thank you so much for sharing this story. I think it says so much about the kind of person you must be, and even though sad, I enjoyed reading.
Best wishes,
~J.
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I wrote this poem specifically for people who poke fun at vegetarians...(I am, obviously a vegetarian) trying to draw them in through the humorous way that they see it, and then hopefully, to make them think about it....
Thank you for your comment. And, you're right...I still cry about it sometimes, and cringe when I shut a door, especially a refrigerator door. The refrigerators when I was a child were very heavy and latched closed...not like the light, magnetized doors of today.
Karen
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Not so ridiculous
I too had a chick or two, and named them after me and my then boyfriend. They liked to glide! I love this and am glad you can write about it! Do not fret, for your grief is a sign that you are human after all! Nicely written!
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Thank you for your kind reply to my poem, "All for the Love of a Chicken". I wrote this poem particularly to draw people in, who would think it is ridiculous and funny, to read this and to, hopefully, see the error of their thinking...and that all life is precious...even a chicken's. Also, I wanted to show, that all animals are capable of bonding and companionship...as well as a chicken, as my poem shows.
Yes, I still cry about it...and cringe when I close a refrigerator door. It was awful!! And, to this day I haven't forgiven myself...
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