“

​ Herspective” -by John Everton Forde 

 
The pain shot through my head, my every fibre screaming in agony, 
snaps,​ hurriedly I awake, eyes wide open, the atmosphere: homely, 
first blink, the sunset pierces my skin fiercely, 
second blink, the enchanting forest brushes me calmly,  
third blink, the view: mountains surround me entirely.   
fourth blink, my family, I smile wildly. 
 
The pain shot through my head, my every fibre​, a ​ wake again, 
I trailed a flicker of light, powerful as a moonlit night, 
one filled with deceit, deception, and a deluding life. 
Just a part of their game; part of their gain; utter disdain. 
 
The pain shot through my head, my every fibre screaming again, 
Awaken to chains, restrained  
Gone; my body, my wholeness,  
My innocence, my own. 
Momma, pappa, come save me,  
Anyone please, this is slavery. 
 
please understand this was never my plan, 
How did my ambition for better make me a slave to this man? 
How could answering an ad for a position, bring me here assuming this 
position? 
Freedom is now my mission. 
 
The pain shot through my head, my every fibre twirling in me, 
strange men in my bed, they hurt me, 
Don’t they have daughters just like me? 
Don’t they know? Can’t they see? 
He who enjoys me, does he support slavery consciously? 
 
The pain shot through my head, my every fibre, again and again, 
Awaken to steel, knives, and pain, 
Strapped to a table, please, not this again, 
Eina!, eina! w
​ hen will this end? 
 
 
The pain shot through my head, my every fibre winding, 
I ran, I ran, the darkness blinding, 
I’m upward climbing, forward-reaching  
Shackles dragging, Senses tingling,  
I am falling. 
 
 
No pain, no pain, nothing entirely, 
a victim of trafficking quite heinously. 
As my lifeless body lies beneath me, 
My soul ascends, my final wish: quickly, 
Like others before me, wished hopefully, 
That someday, every day. We can all live freely.