On Badgers

In Europe farmers slaughter badgers as carriers of T B That they spread the disease to cattle but who knows maybe The cattle infect badgers with T B as it has not been proved either way But the poor badgers with their lives for the T B must pay A little about badgers i can claim to know In the place where into manhood from a boy i did grow I often did see badgers in the fields at twilight Back in those days they were not an uncommon sight The badger a gray average dog sized creature with a white stripe on the face In it's underground sett the previous night's bedding does replace Mostly of dry grass before venturing out for the night To search for food in the fields near their setts till the break of daylight The badger for the biggest dog is a formidable foe John Clare in his great poem badger many decades ago Described of the cruelty to a badger by humans displayed In a poem from the memory never for to fade But some humans on animals like inflicting pain From the suffering of poor creatures pleasure they seem to gain And in some parts of Europe due to T B sad to say Badgers are gassed in their underground setts hidden from light of day.