A prisoner with haunted eyes and red-flecked flesh
Writhes in hideous contortions
While destruction lurks in the cursed air.
Before the final indignity of death
A fist penetrates her open wound,
Near festering, and probes inside.
Blood drips onto the weeping earth,
Soon trodden into dust by the countless feet that follow.
‘Mother of the Free’ is inspired by the documentary Land of Hope and Glory, which exposes the horrific conditions in animal farming across the UK. One particular scene features an injured pig who is tormented by a slaughterhouse worker before she enters the abattoir.
Featured image credit Farm Watch, CC BY-NC 2.0.
