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does the rooster sing of system? - ella whistlecroft




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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