Stunning
       

Ignore the limbs. The legs
may kick. Look at the head.
Hit with a captive bolt,
the eyes widen but lack
a corneal reflex. The neck
should never arch or stiffen,
signs of returning or partial

sensibility. The tongue & tail
should hang straight down,
the nose not twitch when pricked.
No flinch when entering the vat.
Properly stunned, a cow will
flop & gasp less than a minute
like a fish on a slick dock.

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Copyright © 2022 Hilary Sideris All rights reserved
from Animals in English
Dos Madres Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission