Dad lit up a smoke & gave Patch-'Em-Up some water
& waited back by the car.
The manager & I climbed the concrete stairs
of the huge old ramshackle building.
The goat plant is on 800 acres of freehold land.
Before I went in I looked back out over it,
but it was barren, silent, broken down.
I sent out for support.
A few black crows looked on.
We were wearing white coats.
Later dad said that we looked like two chefs.
In the beginning,
there are 4 simple steps:
Slaughter, inspect, wrap, freeze.
1200 goats in 4 days.
After 48 hours they are ready for export in a container.
Yesterday's kill are loaded in there.
Todays are walking onto a line ramp.
The killing box is over twenty feet up.
Goats heads chucked out across the dust.
The manager said, "Feral animals
for human consumption
is going to be a big earner.
Don't you worry about that."
Don't worry,
I won't.
I didn't know then,
that goats scream like humans.
With blood on their legs,
heads dropped down.