I wonder
does the rooster know of system
of chicks crushed on conveyor belt
or else there be no profit
of underground rings
or else there be no glory
of backyard politics
or else there be complaints
when he cries his harsh refrain
does he sing for his brothers lost
and silenced
for a common cause and history
does he rally the ladies
full of corn and wheat who worry not
of cockerels concerns
and turn a blind eye to disappearing sons
or does he simply sing the struggle
of the day to day
unaware his song must speak to all the pain
I watch feathers falling into place
too long in the tail
and though he has not found his voice
it is only a matter of time
I pull him close and whisper
You can stay if you just shut up
Ella Whistlecroft (she/they) is a writer from Naarm/Melbourne. Her work typically explores what happens when human neuroses clash with the natural world. You can find Ella's fiction in Voiceworks Australia.
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