Shark Fin Soup

Shark fin soup? Oh, what a treat,
That’s what diners are told
But if they knew the truth of it
Their blood would all run cold

First the shark is baited
And a hook speared through its lips
Helpless now, it can’t escape
And gets hit with clubs and whips

Hauled up on the boat now
Gasping for its breath
Unaware of the fate that awaits -
A fate that’s worse than death

Held down on the deck now
Trapped by a net of mesh
As knives with sharpened edges
Carve deep into its flesh

No anaesthetic for this poor shark
Nothing to numb the pain
Just blinding, searing agony
And all for monetary gain

Its fins sliced off while still alive
Just to make a bowl of soup
And its tail for added flavour ~
“Would you like another scoop?”

“It’s a delicacy, you know, Sir,
Served only to the best
You really should have a taste, Sir
And add lemon for some zest,”

The shark no longer needed
Was tossed back in the sea
Without its fins and tail
So could never again swim free

There is an outcry if a shark
should kill a human being
But millions of sharks are killed each year
And have no chance of fleeing

All for a bowl of soup, my friends
That’s said to be a treat
Served up to some diners
Who think themselves elite

But the truly elite among us
Are those with love and care
Who treat with kind compassion
Life’s creatures everywhere

© Carol Pool
www.thepoemlady.blogspot.com
www.thepoemlady.co.uk