Poetry
An exchange with a battery hen. (c) David Jeffrey
A piglet asked a hen "Do you resent
how you, inside a cage, your life have spent?
No room to stand and exercise your legs,
you sit all day and lay your stupid eggs,
while I am free to run and play,
I'm glad I have no eggs to lay."
"I thank you for your pity," said the hen,
but think on this as you run in your pen:
your freedom's not all it appears to be,
your liberty in fact depends on me,
because my eggs you so despise
are used for egg and bacon pies."
