Hunting the Innocent: a poem about the plight of foxes - by John O Dwyer

From the ICABS (Irish Council Against Blood Sports) June-July newsletter:


04. Hunting the Innocent: a poem about the plight of foxes
______________________________________

Read "Hunting the Innocent", a powerful poem by Cashel-based songwriter,
John O Dwyer. The poem conveys the suffering and desperation from the
fox's perspective and illustrates the constant struggle for survival
faced by these wonderful creatures.

Hunting The Innocent
by John O Dwyer

I'm one of God's creatures and deserve to be free
To live my life in harmony
To run wild through the fields of green
Without been chased o'er hill and stream
To be hunted down and torn apart
For the pleasure of your cruel dark heart
What manner of creature hunts not for food
But for sport when you feel the mood
What kind of beast could you be
To kill one as innocent as me
I hunt to survive to keep young alive
No dogs no gun nor killing for fun
But dozens of men on horse back ride
Across the country to where I hide
Snarling dogs with sharpened teeth
And prancing hoofs I run beneath
To lead away from my den
To save my cubs from angry men
I'm tired but keep on running
To live this day I must be cunning
Through bramble and brier, down rocky slope
The day it darkens I see some hope
Just keep on moving, stay ahead
And pray that bullets of dreaded lead
Don't pierce my flesh and shatter bone
Just keep on moving I'll make it home
The night has come they've turned around
They've heard the call of the bugle sound
Worn down and out of breath
Once more I've cheated death
How long more will it be my fate
To keep me safe from these men of hate
Forever more I must strive
To teach my cubs to survive
To outwit the beast called man
Just do the best I can
Just do the best I can
From the fox

Thanks to John O Dwyer for permission to reproduce the poem. Find out
more about him and listen to his music at: http://www.myspace.com/jackanto1

a very moving poem, thanks for posting it.
i was a hunt saboteur for many years in england, pre- and post-ban. from the fox's perspective, nothing has changed :-(

No problem Bob, thank you for being a saboteur, I wish I had been when I lived in England... Hunters in England are no better than bullfighters here, they're neanderthals, savages with no respect for anybody's life: the foxes', the dogs', the horses', or the saboteurs', with deaths occurring on all sides, including the saboteurs, at the bloody hunters' hands. Such a disgrace.

A pleasure to meet you.

ah, so you're well-acquainted with the "sport" of hunting with hounds.
it's maybe a little consolation that there are still sabs saving lives every week, august-march, even if it's a small number compared to the foxes that die. when i left sabbing, saving lives was still the priority, along with getting video evidence of the foxhunts clearly breaking the law.

strange fact: before hunting was banned, local police forces could afford £1000/hour to fly a helicopter above the hunt to ensure the saboteurs did not go onto private land.

now, after the ban, the police say they don't have enough money or resources to enforce the law :confused:

anyway... igualmente, encantado! where did you live in england?