VEGANGELICA

Fields, fields, everywhere,

but no food for us is growing there,

only grain and beans for livestock feed

for eggs and milk and meat

that we don’t even need.

Corn, corn, as far as I can see,

but almost none of it is meant for me,

rather captive animals are fed,

burning up the calories

that we could eat instead.

Crops, crops, planted for their worth,

spoiling the natural landscape of Earth,

once depended on the fertile soil,

but now rely on fertilizer, pesticide, and oil.

Land, land, plowed for feed and hay,

causing topsoil to wash away,

could be woods and prairie today

if only more people ate the vegan way.

        CHORUS 1:

        Consequences, consequences of your actions,

        what will be your reaction

        when you learn about the

        consequences, consequences of inaction,

        what will be your reaction,

        when you learn about the...

Water, water, so impure,

we need filter systems to ensure

nitrate levels aren’t too high for health,

as people pay the price for agribusiness wealth.

Streams, streams, once pristine,

toxin-free, refreshing and clean,

are laced with pesticides and manure,

turning waterways and lakes into an open sewer.

Lakes, lakes, where we used to swim

now are hazardous to life and limb

due to run-off from confinement farms,

another one of animal products’ many harms.

Rivers, rivers, flowing to the sea,

carry fertilizer where it shouldn’t be,

causing blooms of algae that decay

in the gulfs in Dead Zones enlarging every day.

        CHORUS 1: Repeat

Air, air, on which life relies,

fouls our lungs and stings our eyes

with the stench of animal waste,

to which a wide variety of illnesses are traced.

Greenhouse, greenhouse gasses in the skies –

raising livestock makes the levels rise,

but an easy way to beat the heat

is to start selecting healthful vegan foods to eat.

Nature, nature, all around

never being left as it was found

when we harm the lives of those we touch,

loving them too little and ourselves too much.

Pain, pain, everywhere,

as billions of animals are forced to bear

being fattened, slaughtered, and erased

when people coldly kill them all to satisfy a taste.

        CHORUS 2:

        There is another way.

        Choose a plant-based diet. You can start today.

        Good for the Earth and animals, too,

        and when you make this choice, good for you!

Hearts, hearts, clogged with animal grease,

leading to needless deaths that could cease

since well-planned vegan diets and exercise

protect you from blockages and even shrink their size.

Bodies, bodies, are laid to rest

due to cancer in colon and breast

caused by red and processed meats

as people give their lives for what they think are tasty treats.

Hunger, hunger, globally,

fueled by greed and grueling poverty,

could decline if people understood

veganism is healthful, efficient, and good.

Minds, minds, taught not to care,

rather than hoarding love can choose to share.

Oh, what peace and joy our world will find

when people stop hurting animal-kind.

        CHORUS 2: Repeat twice

-----------------------------------------------------------

Photo sources:

Iowa cropland (photo by Erica Beay)

Iowa feedlot cattle (photo by Erica Beay)

Combine harvester (www.freedigitalphotos.net)

Hay bale (www.freedigitalphotos.net)