Salinas Rodeo 19/7/2013

Memories of those frontier days
that grandpa talked of
we
are here to witness
what they do
and really how to be
a man
a real live frontier man
who runs the steers
and rides
the bronco’s
he’s a real live man
with chaps and tough insides

off goes the steer a running
its heart beating so wild
but, really it in essence
is no more than a child
scooting down the arena
with the cowboys on its trail
they catch up and ride through it
and over it
and fail
its clear
this steer has had it
crushed and smashed was he
the tractor comes
they manhandle it and tie its legs
and we see
very little movement
this healthy steer
is gone
in seconds it was murdered
and this goes on and on

in the name of rodeo
a circus in many ways
they are so cruel to the animals
they are not worthy of praise
Rodeo’s are a sickness of a by gone age
we should ban them or at least
stop animals exploited for I gauge
that at the very least
these men have no compassion
they
treated that steer as though
it wasn’t hurt
and it could pay
seeing was believing
believing what you saw
that steer was bloody done away with
of that I was very sure

a heartless bunch of I don’t knows
they are not cowboys to me
they appear to be just acting
that steers injury
was grave and yet they treated it
with terror in its eyes
clearly in so much agony
did the crowd realise
I don’t think so
people following the rodeo
appear
to not understand what’s happening
they are dosed up on the beer
and, the bloody barbecue
and the music that they hear
you buys yer ticket
you sees the action
and perhaps you cry a tear
and then you go
and forget about the steers they killed
they pay
with their lives
to entertain you
and there’s always another day