Talking Turkeys!!

By Benjamin Zephaniah

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Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas

Cos turkeys jus wanna hav fun

Turkeys are cool, an 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 yu 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 say'Benj man, eh, I wanna enjoy it,

But dose 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 jus wanna play reggae

Turkeys jus wanna hip-hop

Havey you ever seen a nice young turkey saying,

'I cannot wait for de chop'?

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. His name was 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 it's nothing to do wid Christ Mass

Humans get greedy and waste more dan need be

An business men mek loadsa cash.'

So, 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'.

The poet about himself:

My full name is Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah which is Christian, Jewish and Muslim. I was born in the district of Handsworth in Birmingham. My poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and I can't remember a time when I was not creating poetry.

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