A young boy at a table sat
And acted not unlike a brat
The vegetables he wouldn't eat
Included broccoli and beet.
The only thing he seemed to like
(This little lad, this little tyke)
Was, when it came, the plate of meat.
Now that, for him, was quite a treat.
He wouldn't even take some bread,
But passed it to his Sis, instead.
Potatoes came, but they weren't fries;
He passed them on and rolled his eyes.
Though the fruit dessert was sweet, it
Was too mild; he wouldn't eat it.
First his mother tried to coax him;
Cajoled and wheedled, then got grim;
Lectured him about eating right,
And mentioned starving kids whose plight
Was to have no food - day or night.
She raised her voice, but didn't smite.
His father reddened, then he cussed,
And left the table in disgust.
His sister hid her face, but he
Could see her overcome with glee.
His mother said to him, "Young man,
Go to your room!" So off he ran,
Tears streaming down his little face.
Entering his own private space,
He threw himself down upon the bed,
Wishing awhile that he were dead.
Instead of death, what came was sleep.
Sleep after weep is often deep...
He found himself shipwrecked at sea,
All alone, without company.
He clung for hours to a wooden plank,
Watched the ship as it slowly sank.
He floated long, he floated far,
Feet finally striking a sand bar.
Struggling to shore, he then collapsed;
Awoke, wond'ring how long had elapsed.
Hungry, cold, and not a little damp,
He wandered about, then spied a lamp.
Half-buried in sand, there it lay.
How it got there he couldn't say.
Picking it up, he rubbed his hand
Across the metal to clear the sand.
A spire of smoke began to rise.
He dropped the lamp in great surprise.
Though all he still saw was the smoke,
He heard a sound, a Voice, that spoke.
A Voice so deep, so strong, yet mild,
It didn't frighten him - a child.
The Voice said, "One wish you may make."
Then the ground began to quake.
"I want to go home!" the young boy cried,
Needing no time at all to decide.
"Though I'm grateful that we met,
I'm very hungry, cold and wet."
Replied the Voice, "Before you go,
There's something that you ought to know.
The way you eat is really bad,
And bothers both your Mom and Dad.
Listen to what I have to say
Burrows, slithers, hops or runs,
Likes sunlight or daytime shuns;
You can be sure someone has tried
Eating the creature, raw or fried;
Roasted, poached, sauteed or boiled;
Stewed or steamed, baked or broiled.
"Paws of bear and legs of frog;
Brain of monkey, parts of dog;
Liver, kidneys, gut and tongue
(Most are better if they're young);
Chocolate-covered ants and such;
Stuff some people wouldn't touch;
You can eat them with delight
If you don't lose your appetite.
"I guess you're right," the boy replied,
Shifting his weight from side to side.
"But eating meat is not required
To keep yourself from being tired;
To grow and have the strength you need,
The stamina as well as speed.
In fact, your health may be just fine
If, when you sit, about to dine,
You give a smile as you say, 'Please
Pass me some of those tasty peas.
And while you're at it, pass the corn;
For chewing corn my teeth were born.
Spinach, broccoli, and kale -
I'll eat them all, without fail.
Tomatoes, onions, lettuce too;
I've heard that they're all good for you.
Asparagus I like to bite,
And eggplant, if it's done just right.'
"Carrot sticks are great to munch,
As are radishes, by the bunch;
And cucumbers, when you slice 'em,
Beets and turnips, when you dice 'em.
Celery sticks - it's hard to beat 'em
(Though you can't talk while you eat 'em).
Potatoes are a favorite dish,
Fixed almost any way you wish.
"'I eat collard and mustard greens,
Cabbage, peppers, and string beans.
The lowly squash I'll not forget;
I like most vegetables I've met.
Though Brussels sprouts and chard that's Swiss
Are also fine, I will say this:
With vegetables, one may assume
It's hard to beat a good legume -
Such as lentil, pea, and bean
(Some are brown and some are green).
With veggie colors, a good rule
Is: green and yellow are real cool.'
"If you put it to the test,
The soybean ranks among the best.
Whether you're a girl or boy,
Don't turn up your nose at soy.
Though soy tastes bland and soy is mild,
No food is better for a child.
Soy's high in protein, low in fat,
Helping keep your tummy flat.
Soy's the main thing in the shake
Body builders often take."
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Added the boy, "Just joking, of course."
"Now, to vegetables you should add
Some other stuff that's not so bad,
Like bread that's made from whole wheat grain,
Or rice that's brown (at least in main).
Dishes made from nuts and seeds
(There are many kinds and breeds:
Almond, walnut and cashew,
Pecan and pine, to name a few).
If you cannot be a nutter,
You can still eat peanut butter.
It's great in celery sticks or spread
With jam, or all alone, on bread.
Lots of different kinds of grain
Are good for you - so don't abstain.
Barley, wheat germ, oats and bran,
Cornmeal and grits - get all you can.
Oatmeal, cream of wheat, and ilk
Can be taken with soy milk."
The boy shivered and said, "Oh, please,
Can't you finish before I freeze?"
He felt a sudden blast of heat.
Never before had heat felt so sweet.
Faster than the blink of an eye,
His clothes, once wet, now were dry.
"As I think you might suspect,
There's one more group we can't neglect:
Fruit's not only good for you,
It usually is tasty, too.
Though apple-eating, one a day,
May not the doctor keep away,
It is good for matters dental,
And in no way is detrimental.
"Bananas are among the best,
They're so easy to digest.
Easy to peel, easy to eat
(Just don't leave the peel at your feet!).
"Of berries, there're so many kinds;
I'm just glad they don't have rinds.
Can you imagine how it'd feel?
You want to eat - you've got to peel!
It wouldn't hurt to name a few:
Berry -boysen, -black, and -blue,
Berry -huckle, -straw, and -dew.
(Don't some of these sound good to you?)
Despite its many kinds, the grape
Has quite a universal shape.
Some are seedless, some have seed
(Of seeds I find I have no need).
Like meat, grape's often white or red.
A raisin is a grape that's dead,
Just as a prune a plum once was.
Juicy is as juicy does.
"Melons are a tasty bunch
Whether for dinner or for lunch.
Of melons there is many a type
(They're best if eaten when just ripe)
:
Casaba, Crenshaw, honeydew,
Water- and musk- are but a few.
"Citrus fruits deserve attention.
Illness comes from their abstention.
Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, too,
Tangerines, limes are good for you.
"Other fruit, which hang by twig,
Include the apricot and fig;
Coconut, cherry, date and pear
(Some are common, some are rare),
Papaya, passion fruit and quince;
Raw persimmon'll make you wince.
Pineapple, guava, kiwi, peach -
Quite unique's the flavor of each."
The boy looked down, and at his feet
Were all kinds of fruit, and loaf of wheat.
"Eat if you want, but have no doubt,"
Intoned the Voice, "You must hear me out.
"By eating veggies, fruits, and grain
Proper nutrients you will gain.
Think: High in fiber, low in fat,
And low in salt is where it's at.
Doctors tells us (they should know)
This diet is the way to go.
"'But,' you may say, as well you might,
'For meat I've got an appetite.
If no one else is really harmed,
Why should I become alarmed?'
"For every piece of meat you taste,
Some creature's life is laid to waste.
That hamburger, that chicken thigh,
Meant that animal had to die.
Some one's father, or its mother,
Maybe sister, or its brother,
Son or daughter, lover, friend,
All came to a dismal end.
And though their death may seem humane,
Don't you think they suffer pain?
Does enjoyment of that steak
Justify the life you take?
"Also, on this planet Earth,
Of fertile land there is a dearth.
The pastures in which cattle graze
If used for crops, like wheat or maize,
Would feed more mouths at harvest time
By far, in grain, than beef that's prime.
It takes some years to grow one cow;
Sure more than grain, I will avow.
And in those years, how many crops
Could be shipped to grocery shops?
If we could learn to eat less meat
There'd be more food for all to eat."
At this point the boy said, "Voice,
It sounds as if I've got a choice.
But is there reason for alarm?
Can meat really do me harm?"
"The answer is, I'm sad to say,
One that may cause you some dismay.
You take some risks in eating meat
You do not take in eating wheat.
"For one, red meat is high in fat,
(Jack Sprat stayed away from that).
Fat goes into your arteries
And causes strokes and heart disease.
While it may take many a year
For such diseases to appear,
Once you get them, they may either
Kill or damage; you need neither.
Having trouble when you walk,
Or sounding garbled when you talk,
Or having chest pain keep you from
Things you want to do, is dumb
If you can eat in such a way
That such troubles stay away.
"Cancer is another cause of
Death of friends and those we love.
If you eat a lot of red meat
Your pleasure may be bittersweet.
Cancer may be your final due;
There may not be a cure for you.
"When a creature goes to slaughter,
They don't check it like they oughter.
If it has what may be cancer,
That's cut out - but that's no answer.
The carcass that is then passed through
You'd likely shun - if you but knew.
"Like human beings, creatures will,
From time to time, become ill.
Now if that animal should die
And I eat part of it, then I
Take what disease it had, in me,
And it's quite easy to foresee
My getting sick, just like the beast
Of whose meat I made a feast.
"Now's a good time, in your youth
To learn a saying with some truth:
'We (indeed) are what we eat.'
I assure you (no deceit)
Your diet can be quite complete
Even if you don't eat meat."
The Voice then said, "Now off you go,
And don't forget what you now know."
The smoke and lamp vanished from view.
Of their presence remained no clue.
The boy awoke, vowed then and there
To eat vegetarian fare...
He grew to be a healthy man
And never had that dream again.
