Manta Gills (gives me the chills)

The Chinese really cannot keep their hands

off

any living creature, anywhere

it seems that every part of every soul

that was created

has some piece of it

no matter how rare

has some piece of it

that will cure some illness

ancient texts describe this

so we hear

if you ask me

they are really as daf’t as brushes

and TCM to me is steeped

with fear

The Giant Manta Ray

is the great genius

its flight alone

is extraordinary to see

hardly any movement

yet it glides just like a bird

and all the movement done so effortlessly

another soul at risk

it seems to me

its gills are used

in some fantastic potion

the notion

that the Chinese do believe

already they are killing very many

and in a nutshell what this does achieve

is the extinction of so many creatures

Lions and Tigers suffering as well

but Manta Rays that live for up to 50 years

go into the pot, now known as Hell

Traditional Chinese medicine

involving animal parts

has got to take a  big step back

for its breaking too many hearts