the cacao bean or cocoa
West Africa best hear
chocolate grown in Ghana and the Ivory Coast
appear
to harbour cruel and nasty farms
where children from Mali be
from Bhurkino Faso
kidnapped children see
a life of the vilest misery
ALL STOLEN AWAY
to slavery, to suffering
to fearfulness,m no day
goes by without the tedium and pain
of slaving in some jungle
and never being the same
working with machete’s and poisons
night and day
no protective clothing
slavery no pay
from five year olds to twelve year olds
on bananas and corn paste
really very weakening foods
with god knows what else laced
these poor kids farm cacao
what an awful life
stolen from their families
all they see is strife
and in the West cheap chocolate
Easter eggs we buy
West Africa best watch them
its where slavery is high.
Rex Tyler is a Poet, Campaigner, former owner of an organic shop of 30 years, and Public Speaker living in Berkhamsted, UK.