Rachel Hamill escribió esta poesía cuando tenía 12 años
Podemos utilizarla como recurso para trabajar en clase de inglés. Les diremos a los alumnos que lo ha escrito una niña de su edad, que lo lean una primera vez y haremos una lluvia de ideas sobre cuál es el mensaje que nos quiere transmitir Rachel con la poesía. A continuación les diremos que subrayen las palabras que no han entendido y entre todos trataremos de encontrar su significado. La leeremos una tercera vez, todos juntos e iremos traduciendo párrafo por párrafo. Finalmente haremos un pequeño debate sobre el respeto a los animales.
Con esta actividad no solo se consigue fomentar el interés por la poesía y aprender inglés, sino que también se puede fomentar el respeto a los animales.
Mommy, I thought
By Rachel Hamill
Mommy, are we supposed to kill?
Mommy, that gives me a chill!
Mommy, are we made to suffer?
No, child we aren’t made to suffer.
But mom, look at the calf!
It looks as if she’s being cut in half!
Mommy, but why does this have to be?
Mommy, I do not see.
All I see is the killing here.
Oh no mom! They’re slaying something so dear!
Why don’t they run mom, don’t they have a choice?
No child, they don’t have a choiceMommy, I prefer to see the animals free.
Mommy, I want to see the animals happy.
I want them out of harm and misery.
I like to see them running mom, running for joy and glee.
I like to see them warm and at home where they are supposed to be.
Mommy, look at that rabbit!
Mommy, this cruelty has become a habit.
Oh mommy! Look at its eyes!
Mommy, don’t they hear his painful cries?
Oh no mom! Look at that cat!
Oh mommy! Did us humans do that?
Mommy, did it do something wrong?
Did that suffering monkey long for the pain?
Oh Mommy, you are struggling to answer.
Oh child, don’t you see?
That pup and cat are testing our beauty cream.
Mommy, I thought their life was more important.
Oh child, you’re being silly. Animals are very different from us.
But mommy, I thought animals were our friends.
Well, they are child, they are our friends.
Mommy, am I supposed to treat my friends like this?
Mommy, I don’t think my friends would like to be treated like this.
Oh, child….
Yes mommy?
You have taught me so much.