The Dumb World (1910)

The Dumb World written by William Henry Davies

From "Farewell to Poesy", 1910

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I cannot see the short, white curls
  Upon the forehead of an Ox,
But what I see them dripping with
  That poor thing's blood, and hear the axe;
When I see calves and lambs, I see
  Them led to death; I see no bird
Or rabbit cross the open field
  But what a sudden shot is heard;
A shout that tells me men aim true,
  For death or wound, doth chill me through.

The shot that kills a hare or bird
  Doth pass through me; I feel the wound
When those poor things find peace in death,
  And when I hear no more that sound.
These cat-like men do hate to see
  Small lives in happy motion; I
Would almost rather hide my face
  From Nature than pass these men by;
And rather see a battle than
  A dumb thing near a drunken man.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.