Poet and Didn’t Know It, by Lori Ireland, MVLCE

Everyone starts the vegan journey for one reason and usually ends up continuing for multiple reasons. For me, it started out to support my mother through a health crisis. By going vegan I could help her with recipes, cooking and understanding what she was going through with a whole change in the way she was eating. We both grew up eating meat at every meal. The questions were, “Are we having sausage or bacon for breakfast? … Are we going to have ham sandwiches or tuna for lunch? … Was it going to be hamburger tonight or chicken?” Going vegan was a BIG change for us. As I continued on this path, I learned about the health benefits for Mom, my family and myself, the health benefits for the planet, and the cruelty that goes into the food I had previously been eating. Now I continue for all those reasons.

One morning I woke from sleep and this poem was in my head. I had never been a poet before, but there it was…so I grabbed paper and pen and wrote it down…

Every life wants to live

even the chickens, cows and pigs.

They want to run and play with the family they make,

not be food on someone’s dinner plate.

Even our Earth wants to thrive

but it is harder and harder to keep it alive.

With dead zones, species extinctions, and climate change

where in all this are we the blame?

Then there’s our health or lack of it,

with obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer we really are unfit.

But we can turn this all around,

by eating foods from the ground.

Eat all you want of fruit, grains and beans

and all the veggies your eyes have seen.

There are tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and rice,

Strawberries, blueberries and everything nice.

Make sure you save room for all the rest

And just remember Plants Are Best!!!!!!

 

Lori Ireland is a Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator. She is passionate about teaching others about the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. She also has an interest in teaching others about the connection between climate change and how we source our food.  Her website with her sister-in-law is Plants Are Best.