VOICE OF A MOTHER.

I was never born a haggard harlot
Back then, I had a soft heart
That believed sex was only a procreation act
I never chose to be a deviant
I was just tender and bright
When life shone on me a different kind of light
A light that turned me into the leathery faced town whore.

They say sex is like a river
And a river can bring life to a place
My river gave me a daughter
However, upon floods
The same river destroys
And that’s how my gift turned me into a leathery faced town whore.

I was fifteen when I conceived
My mother said I was deceived
And homeless I was declared
As a teen I was jobless
And as a young mother, I became helpless
I had no one to turn to; I was vulnerable
I guess that when my life became two faced.

I might have fallen harder
But I believed in my beloved daughter
Her future was under
Still unclear but tender
And I knew a home without a daughter
Is like a spring without a source
I guess that was my motivation.

I worked my body
I buried my feelings deep inside me
I let the hurts of me be caged on my walls
I let men feast on me
I decided to hire myself since no one was willing to help
And that how my opinion for sex turned into an economic act.

I was her mother
I was her father
I always made sure bread was available
For her I was always reliable
Clothes she never lacked
A normal life she lived
And I made sure she believed that I was the most hardworking woman ever.

Now that she has grown
To a fine woman
It is my prayer that school doesn’t teach her to hate my job
I hope when I tell her my story she will not be a snob
I hope she never curses the loins that gave birth to her
I hope she grows to be better
I pray that someday she understands
I became a whore
Because I believed in her future.
  Humphrey.