i'm not much of a poet (i never was and don't really think of becoming one), but here's a poem i found myself jotting down in panic after watching a documentary on how pigs are slaughtered where i come from. i wrote it in less than fifteen minutes in feverish haste, i reckon, as the words simply poured out of me. i guess most of my better poems are born that way: effortlessly.
- vincent pido
Three Little Pigs
Three little pigs
are playing in the pen,
running,
and jumping
all around the den.
Three little pigs
are cuddling to the sow
suckling,
and huddling
safe at least for now.
Three little pigs
are loaded in the truck,
farewell
to the mother
bathing in the muck.
Three little pigs
are in the slaughterhouse,
filthy,
and scary
all around dead cows.
Three little pigs
are pounded on the head
electrocuted,
stabbed,
soon they’ll be dead.
Three little pigs
are down on the floor,
bleeding,
and screaming,
and bleeding some more.
Three little pigs
are pounded on the head,
disoriented
and in pain
of course they’ll be dead.
Three little pigs
are down on the floor,
happiness,
happiness,
There’ll be pork chop in the stores!
- vincent pido
Three Little Pigs
Three little pigs
are playing in the pen,
running,
and jumping
all around the den.
Three little pigs
are cuddling to the sow
suckling,
and huddling
safe at least for now.
Three little pigs
are loaded in the truck,
farewell
to the mother
bathing in the muck.
Three little pigs
are in the slaughterhouse,
filthy,
and scary
all around dead cows.
Three little pigs
are pounded on the head
electrocuted,
stabbed,
soon they’ll be dead.
Three little pigs
are down on the floor,
bleeding,
and screaming,
and bleeding some more.
Three little pigs
are pounded on the head,
disoriented
and in pain
of course they’ll be dead.
Three little pigs
are down on the floor,
happiness,
happiness,
There’ll be pork chop in the stores!
9 comments:
The first time I encountered this playful poetry, I was immediately struck by its unique tone,diction, and mood. It sounds pretty much like a grim nursery rhyme...very creative, clever, biting, and effective. The poet has successfully worked out the poetic thesis with his creative diction and ironic tone.You should write more of this, Vince. What about a poem on dog-eaters? Just sugar-coat it a bit, wont you? It'd really make my heart bleed if you wont. -Miss H.
from robert using miss h's account:
you're one of my favorite poets in Scribe. i think that you have already established your trademark, which is poems with animals. this one sounds very childish yet poignant.
i never really thought about how brillinat the poem was going to be, ms A. hahaha i was just so traumatized after watching that documentary that i had to write it all out or i wouldn't have been able to sleep that night at all.
thank you for your comments! i don't know what to say because i've never really "analyzed" my poems. i just write them whenever i feel like i need the purging. but coming from you, those comments make me feel a little bit more reasssured that i'm not just churning out crap.
i've actually already written a poem about dog-eaters too, one published much, much earlier than Three Little Pigs. it was published in the 2006 edition of the scribe. i'll post it here, too, and i'll eagerly wait for your critique!
and robert, i don't think i know you, and strangers aren't usually that nice to me, but thanks for your comments, too. haha
i must say i'm really flattered by them and ms. A's, especially because they're coming from poets, or people who've probably read and written more poetry in their life than i could ever hope to have the patience to.
i'm glad you find some significance in the poem, despite it sounding a bit childish. that's the best (if not only) way i know how to write poems. haha
so pigs are electrocuted when slaughtered? i didn't know that. it sure brings home the point, vincent, and as Miss H said, it is effective. and so it has recall.
hmm..perhaps it's more child-like than childish. =)
yes kim. they're "pounded on the head, electrocuted, stabbed" and then served as a delicacy in a nice porcelain plate.
the electrocuting part is a "modern innovation" supposed to make the entire process quick and painless, as it would just kill them right there and then without them even knowing it, like switching a lightbulb off.
but usually it just paralyzes them, which means they still see, hear, taste, smell and feel everything around them while they slowly slip away and die. i cannot even imagine the pain, the anguish, the suffering.
imagine being sliced open and having your innards pulled apart while your heart's still beating and you can't even shout, squeal or squirm despite the pain because you're now paralyzed. imagine not even having the consolation to at least express your pleas for mercy. the horror.
that's why "soon they'll be dead", because unfortunately, they don't die that quickly.
vince, kim, I'm never gonna eat porkchop again. Promise! - Miss H.
i envy your conviction, ms. A. haha i've vowed that myself quite a few times already (especially after seeing that gory, graphic documentary) but find it very difficult to curb my addiction to eating meat once there's a nice slab of it helplessly lying on a plate before me.
if there were some form of rehab for it, i'd probably try it.
oh no! I'm too weak to resist pork chops. =(
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