Venice masks

Monday 4 September 2023

Bosongo’s Dark Alleys - Onchoka Ongoro

That morning, as I walked to work
A lady who aired her wares in Bosongo’s dark alleys smiled at me
Her seductive eyes tracing every inch of my body.
Her silhouette curves were mysterious and alluring
And her face, quite innocent for the business.

“Two hundred, baby boy,” she called,
I kept walking.
“A hundred — an offer just for you because you are the first one.”
“Fifty, If you promise to come back tomorrow.”
“Twenty! My family is starving,” her voice faded
As I hurried past the dark alleys of Bosongo.

Onchoka Ongoro (21st century) Kenya
The author notes: This poem is about the realities of life and the difficult choices that some people are forced to make in order to survive.

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