In the town’s shadows, they paraded
Like overlooked heroes on an unwritten script.
In all shapes and sizes
Young, dilapidated, beautiful, disgusting, brown, black, yellow.
Their scent, both alluring and a poignant reminder of their struggle
With pieces of cloth that barely covered their sins.
They stood there,
Like perishable goods on supermarket shelves
Begging to be bought before the sun reaches its peak.
Their worth, malleable and fragile,
Reduced to a transactional game of survival.
They — each a story yearning to be heard.
Like overlooked heroes on an unwritten script.
In all shapes and sizes
Young, dilapidated, beautiful, disgusting, brown, black, yellow.
Their scent, both alluring and a poignant reminder of their struggle
With pieces of cloth that barely covered their sins.
They stood there,
Like perishable goods on supermarket shelves
Begging to be bought before the sun reaches its peak.
Their worth, malleable and fragile,
Reduced to a transactional game of survival.
They — each a story yearning to be heard.
Onchoka Ongoro (21st century) Kenya
Source: Kalahari Review
The author notes: This poem explores the lives of prostitutes, shedding light on the often-overlooked aspects of their existence.
Source: Kalahari Review
The author notes: This poem explores the lives of prostitutes, shedding light on the often-overlooked aspects of their existence.
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