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Death By Night

A Tuesday morning
At the crack of dawn
Comes a wretched smell
And a common song...

It?s the song of death
And the smell of fear
It happens each night
When Hell ascends here

Their life experience lost
Snuffed out - so quick
It?s their innocence gone
That makes me so sick

They LIVE as we do
They experience LIFE
We play and we laugh
And that?s also their right

But everywhere they go
Their bright eyes observe
That all us damn humans
Have some arrogant nerve

We steal their green land
We build concrete roads
We race our fast tires
While their world explodes

It explodes into sadness
For some lay alone
For hours and hours
Inside their own home

It?s their home
you see... The Earth
They breath with balance
But they cannot flee

There is no escape
From the growth of man
For the wilderness animals
Cannot take a stand

So I look at them lifeless
Laying in the street
Blood has been splattered
A clear sign of defeat

Their heads have been twisted
Their small legs crushed
Their innards now outwards
Diminished to guts

I understand these are "accidents"
The intent rarely bad
But the ending result
Is never less sad

So, fox of the forest
Coons of the night
Roos of Australia
It?s for you that I write

A solution not near
For humans have got
Stressors and parties and
Compassion?s not sought

Gullies or fences
Bridges and signs
I wish other people
Had views such as mine

There is an answer
although money is key
I promise, however,
Compassion CAN BE

It?s all about budget
The money is there
Toll after toll
Dollars to spare

Lobbies and politics
Have the money we need
To build the animals
A road to be freed

It takes our strong voices
It takes intelligent thought
To make the law makers
Understand our plot

It?s not rash or bleeding heart
As I?ve often heard
It is merely life love
I extend to the world

The world is of animals
And I am just one
But I know in my heart
That compassion can be won

For compassionate people
Have powerful hearts
Whatever the religion
True Passion is smart

Without the compassion
Civility won?t reign
And death by the roadside
Is merely in vein

It?s pathos I feel
I wish all could see
When folks joke about "road kill"
It kills part of me!

Malini Patel ([email protected])