Talking Turkeys! Poem by Benjamin Zephaniah

Talking Turkeys!

Rating: 3.7


Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas
Cos' turkeys just wanna hav fun
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
An every turkey has a Mum.
Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas,
Don't eat it, keep it alive,
It could be yu mate, an not on your plate
Say, Yo! Turkey I'm on your side.
I got lots of friends who are turkeys
An all of dem fear christmas time,
Dey wanna enjoy it, dey say humans destroyed it
An humans are out of dere mind,
Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeys
Dey all hav a right to a life,
Not to be caged up an genetically made up
By any farmer an his wife.

Turkeys just wanna play reggae
Turkeys just wanna hip-hop
Can yu imagine a nice young turkey saying,
ÒI cannot wait for de chopÓ,
Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch christmas TV,
Turkeys hav brains an turkeys feel pain
In many ways like yu an me.

I once knew a turkey called........ Turkey
He said "Benji explain to me please,
Who put de turkey in christmas
An what happens to christmas trees?",
I said "I am not too sure turkey
But itÕs nothing to do wid Christ Mass
Humans get greedy an waste more dan need be
An business men mek loadsa cash'.

Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
Invite dem indoors fe sum greens
Let dem eat cake an let dem partake
In a plate of organic grown beans,
Be nice to yu turkey dis christmas
An spare dem de cut of de knife,
Join Turkeys United an dey'll be delighted
An yu will mek new friends 'FOR LIFE'.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Jennie Warnett 23 December 2005

me and my class mates read your poem in class many disagreed with it but i do not. there is no need to kill turkeys nor any other living creature, i dont eat turkey or fish and for now that will be my contrabution. but iwould love it if i could follow your lead when i am older. your a roll model to us all, and i think your extremely cool, killing turkeys is cruel, eatting turkey on xmas day, is a tradition people say, but certainly not for mes my replacment is a load of peas i love my potatoes the most, and a lovely slice of toast, if other peps make an effort, they'll find a replacement too, animals have rights, theres no need to add spice, respect all animals, cause they rule over all. yours sencerly jennie warnett 12

107 42 Reply
Anam Rizvi 03 December 2006

Hi Benjamin. Well i would like to ask you a question? Aren't plants living organisms too? So we do not have a right to kill them either. We can't starve. I think killing animals is wrong when it is done for wrong purposes like poaching and export.

66 66 Reply
Turkey Talking 16 September 2022

When was the last time you heard the grass scream or see it struggle as it was beng cut? Animals, including human animals, demonstrate a rapid fight, flight or distress response to pain. PS. Grass grows back after you cut it!

10 0
Bhupinder Kaur 26 December 2010

Good Evening Sir Benjamin! Today was my UGC NET exam and i got this one poem of yours for critical analysis. In India this exam is for the post of Assistant Professor. I think i could do well. Sir would u plz send me the exact critical analysis of this poem! Please! ...

74 56 Reply
Helen Adeyera 15 June 2010

I love this poem it is the best i like the way benjamin wrote this poem.

87 31 Reply
David Wood 08 December 2022

Yo, I tink dem turkey's all got birdy flu Ben…So I won't be e'tin dem turkeys too. A high five man…...

1 1 Reply
Aa 05 October 2021

Epic poem

3 2 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 27 August 2021

Congratulations being chosen again as The Modern Poem Of The Day! A gorgeous poem with a meaningful message. So fantastic!

4 1 Reply
Brook Renwick 27 August 2021

Ha hahaha

0 3 Reply
Rose Marie Juan-austin 27 August 2021

A fascinating poem with a meaningful message.

4 0 Reply
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