The meaning of conscious Of sentience Of a level of being A level of meaning That transcends the inorganic And earns the rights of the humans Is something that ought be accorded To every living thing But what about plants You’d be right to then ask How can we legitimately Harvest and feast Upon these living creatures fellow You’d be such a beast And I’d say I don’t know Even what consciousness is Whether it qualifies As a qualifier of sorts So sleep on it I will And my dreams will inform How do I look at you Sweet potato Cherry tomato Lettuce