Stories

12 hours she works
In a factory
Away from her kids
But at least they’ll eat
That’s what she says to me

All for a dollar
They call a day’s wage
But she misses her kids
Who are underweight?
Even though they ate

And she doesn’t know
How long she can last
Work takes a toll,
Kids are growing fast
All she wanted was for her kids to eat
This is Alicia’s story…

The shame she felt
From digging through trash
Opened a door
For her to dance
Men liked that

5 dollars could be a very good day
But she could make 5 more
If she goes all the way
On public display

And she doesn’t know
How long she can last
Ten years since 12 have gone so fast
And the cuts on her wrist
Show she never escaped the shame
This is Maricel’s story…

HOW LONG MUST WE WAIT
TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING

At 8 years old
She was sold as a slave
Her parent’s response
To their poverty – poverty

Abusive years
Some spent in chains
Pregnancies
And children to raise
Coupled with shame

She’d have loved to escape this reality
The only release she found was to sing
But the ears of men,
They heard the same beat
As the men of her past,
Would history repeat?
Till her song reached the heart
Of a foreign man
Who swore to God
To take her hand
The challenges faced were intimidating
But God shook the earth to show his glory
As I look in the eyes of my son today
I see that Justice isn’t just clichÈ
God hears the cry of slaves who say help me
This is my Mom’s story…