i saw two single mothers with unkempt children/
queueing for food parcels at the smith family/ hanging
their heads/ in a way that could only invite
charity/
not greedy/ quick to tell their children/
only to take one toy/ & boyfriends restrained
somewhere in the background/ in dark commission
flat loungerooms/ beer in one hand/ fist in the
other/
i saw slaughterhouse supporters in the pre
xmas rush with no conscience/ the fact implanted/
by the freezer cold glitter in the smile of the
industry/ that these animals enjoy dying for us/
there is no noel noel for the naked calf/ throat
ripped open/ now airborn for the first time/ since
the day it was born/ in the blue green paddock/
& the animals that stood by the baby in the manger/
in holy light & bedside straw/ accepting of the
fragile mother/ are consumed by us on the eve of
the birth/
& those unfortunate enough/ to have the
lost dogs' home/ a few streets away/ will shut the
windows/ on that side of the house/ on xmas day/
to the grind of concrete paws & the yelping of pale
frightened dogs/ & mad dogs cringing in the backs
of their pens/ signs on the wire gates read: desexed,
loves children & car rides to the beach/
& older cats/
used to territory, sunbaking & habit/ too tired to
wear bells or for mouse catching/ rather than spoil
a family's once a year trip/ are waiting/ fluffed up/
waiting for their chance/
beneath the tree/ in a
pink wrapped gift box/ to be reopened again/ by a
new bright family/ on xmas morning/ feeble, indignant/
until the end/ by the sleepy point of the needle/
i heard the smith family woman/ curt & uncaring &
employed for that reason/ with a reference from
the DSS/ say overly loudly/ to the two tired
mothers: didn't you hear me the first time?/ there
are no food parcels left/
but each child is entitled
to more than one toy/ about the time she said this/
the children lost interest/ the oldest child replaced
a broken manger with glitter on the roof/
& a toy
manufacturer came through the door/ with a dozen
bob-back-up clowns with bright red noses for
punching down/ but the kids weren't interested
in them/ nor were they keen on the brand new
pushbike/ donated by an elderly man/
& they stood
in front of their mother as if to support her/
against the onslaught of charity/ & the dark eyed
mum faced the powers that be/ employed for too long
by the smith family/ & she said: i know that it's
christmas/ but my kids don't want to play when
they're hungry
