Years Ago When I Was Young Poem by Raymond Farrell

Years ago
When I was young
I would go with friends
To the Port Elmsley dump
With a 22 and shoot the rats
Now as I have aged
I've grown to appreciate these creatures
Their ingenuity and abilities to survive
Are admirable
A friend had one as a pet
And it seemed capable
Of responding to affection
And I thought
Of the thousands of rats
Sacrificed for the sake of science
Cute innocent creatures
Why I wonder
Do we not have pity
On these creatures
Which one could grow to love
Why not replace them with lawyers
Which none can grow to love
Of which we have far too many
And just think of the breakthrough
That is bound to come if we do
For many things and not a few
A lawyer will gladly do
A rat would never do.