PROSTITUTE'S SON

Wrote for the contest Poetry Form of Albert

PROSTITUTE’S SON

Same shame I felt

When they asked me

Who is my father.

Same ignominy gripped me

When they asked me

Why my mother works in the night

Same disgrace shattered me

When they asked me

Why my mother is not coming to see me.

I knew who is a prostitute

But my classmates knew a prostitute is bad

I knew my mother is good

But lessons said a prostitute is bad

I knew I have no escape

But, my restless soul is searching for a way out

I am not a prostitute.

But money I pay is that of a prostitute

Money I pay is that of men who pay a prostitute

My mess fee is that of a prostitute

My boarding fee is that of a prostitute

My tuition fee is that of a prostitute.

My body is made of a prostitute’s.

It is still eating a prostitute’s food

I want to vomit what I eat

Which school can teach me

To escape from this cage

Into which I am born,to pay for a sin,not mine.

Reviews

[RDOriginal]

In this poem you've done an excellent job of taking a taboo subject and spreading an awareness to the reader.

Sometimes prostitution is seen as a victimless crime but here you remind us that the prostitute may have a family and they too live under the same shadow. You really drive the message home when you list all of the educational bills that are paid for with this money, 'my mess fee is that of a prostitute my boarding fee is that of a prostitute my tuition fee is that of a prostitute'. These are all such positive things but subsidised in such a negative way. It really breaks the stereotype that some assume a prostitutes earnings are spent on drugs or alcohol.

The main emotional feature that stands out for me in this poem is one of the tremendous guilt the child feels. Everything in her life is paid for with what she sees as immoral earnings but that is only half the story. When the narrator confides, 'my body is made of a prostitutes' as a reader we learn that the work of the mother has uttery tainted the child. This is confirmed with the acknowledgement that life is seen as a 'cage' which no lesson can provide an escape from.

Technically I like the way you've stuck with the use of the word 'prostitute' rather than rely on euphemisms. The word has a certain stigma and it's regular occurrence in the poem prevents the reader from maybe shying away from the reality.

I really like the informative nature of this poem and the fact that you've not voiced your own opinion here. Rather it's left to the reader to decide based entirely on the story and their feeling for the narrator.

[Ruth]

Wow!
Powerful sweety!
This is an excellent poem! One that actually makes the reader think about the situation!
Awesome!
xx

[Coyote Poetry]

Sometime the world can get twist up. A prostitute's son would be a hard life. I believe we can be made into prostitute for big business and even war. My poem the w***e bath is base on being paid for deeds we don't brag about. I like this poem. In this situation would takes age and years to understand the things done to live by a parent. A powerful poem. A strong ending.
Coyote