A Remembrance
Man-handled as a newborn Mathilda’s leg was broken, lamed by
human carelessness. A veterinarian could have healed her, but no. She’d be
worth her weight in meat, thought the farmer. So, he listed her for sale with
the bonus she could be butchered on-site, a convenience. Then, a vegan
Samaritan saw the listing and offered to purchase the calf. I’ll get a
sanctuary to take her, she thought. Sure, said the farmer. Money was raised
quickly to purchase and transport Mathilda to another state. But there are no
guarantees, thought the farmer; this is business. Meantime, a spiritual
Samaritan asked her church to pray for Mathilda’s rescue and wrote out her appeal
for the pastor. When the time came to offer “Lord, hear our prayers” to the
congregation, there was no invocation. Later, the pastor said he couldn’t read
the request; it was smudged. The vegan Samaritan kept calling the farmer, but
he wouldn’t answer her calls, though she had a fistful of dollars and a bag of
silver. Was there hope? Sold to a higher bidder, Mathilda succumbed to the
farmer’s knife and became someone’s steak and barbeque. Her blood on the
farmer’s hand smeared his money. Her existence was erased before she had time
enough to enjoy her life outside of the barn. The calf was not a smudge – Mathilda
was a breathing and feeling being who had a right to life because she was already
alive among us mammal kin. Sentient life doesn’t have to become our food.
- Gregory F. Tague, Ph.D. and Fredericka A. Jacks
Photo: Claire2003/Pixabay. This is not an image of Mathilda
but of her likeness.
Copyright©2025 by Gregory F. Tague. All Rights Reserved. This post was generated by human brains and not by AI.