Food For Thought

Food for Thought
A poem by David John Carmos, Ph.D.

Vegetarians come in all shapes and sizes,
and once we study the facts,
we could be in,
for some amazing surprises,
which range from elephants,
who may live for
more than a hundred years,
to little bunny rabbits,
that like to hippity hop all over the place,
with their long pointed ears.

Then there are whales,
which, although they are mammals,
are also fish without scales,
and when we compare them,
to the worlds' other animals,
we will find, that these are
the largest beings of any kind,
living in either the sea,
or on the land,
the largest of which
are vegetarians and,
live on plankton and seaweed,
and despite their great size,
they can move through the ocean
at the most amazing speed.

Then there are the deer,
with their large soft, brown eyes,
and the gentle gorilla,
whose great power,
often outmatches its' size.

There are certain aspects
indigenous to all vegetarians,
like teeth designed
to both chop and grind,
while teeth which can tear and gore,
are found only in a carnivore,
whose jaw can move,
only up and down,
while a vegetarians can also go
side to side and all around.

When a carnivore becomes overly hot,
they begin to pant,
in order to cool off,
and that hits the spot,
while in the same condition,
you can bet
a vegetarian will begin to sweat.

Because of the way it is designed to eat,
by the time a carnivores system completes
the entire process from consumption to excretion,
it passes through an alimentary tract,
that is less or more so,
three to four times,
the length of its torso.

While the tract of the herbivore,
will measure up to six to eight times more,
while in the herbivore-fruitarians' overall plan,
is found a proportion of ten to twelve times,
exactly as is found in man.

But then comes the question,
What about protein?
Usually followed by unqualified quoting.
The truth of the matter is,
whether we are by nature,
aggressive or placid,
the need of our system requires,
consumption of simple amino acids.

Now these are found in great abundance,
in every food in Natures' realm,
from fruit to nut,
to seed to greens,
and in sufficient abundance to overwhelm.

So another question then arises,
do people of intelligence stop eating meat?
And the list comprises
philosophers, theologists, athletes,
and is replete,
with the likes of Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle and Gandhi,
Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman
and Francis of Assisi,
Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison,
Albert Schweitzer and Leonardo Da Vinci.
And just so,
in your own search for knowledge,
you don't fall or get caught,
I thought I would offer,
this little food for thought.