Daughter Of The Streets Poem by Paula Glynn

An 18 year old girl
With eyes wide open
Yearning to see the world
But she is a lonely and lost girl
Who doesn't yet have wisdom
When it comes to the ways of the world
Even though her mother loved her
Throughout her life from little girl

Lured into prostitution
The infamous sex trade
Where so many girls and women
Play the money game
A pimp Charley to have
Not knowing her he would betray
When it came for a lifestyle
Of supposed glamour
To take out in cash and pay

And for her, selling her body pays the bills
Charley's youth and beauty
Giving younger and older men a thrill
But Charley's mother does not yet know
Her daughter in the sex trade
Her lost innocence to not show
Apart from late nights out,
Her mother assuming
Her daughter to be on drugs
Making her reactions slow

Charley to rebel
And her mother sees this and can tell
Her daughter fearing having no job
Out of fear of not being able to graduate
Qualifications tricky
As Charley's feels she has dug a grave
Pulling out mud, spade after spade
Turning to the sex trade
To pay her way

Now knowing the world and its ways
That the sex trade doesn't pay
But Charley to sell her youth and beauty anyway
Wearing glamorous clothes, makeup and high heels
The designer look as men cop a feel
Her expensive clothes designed for a sex show
And men know her sexuality and desire
Sensations of the body to set men on fire

But incidents occur, even when in fake fur
For men with money
Charley to accept as clients
Upper class men she did prefer
For there to be less risk of rape
Even when filmed on video tape

Makeup and high heels to impress
And every designer night-time dress
Charley to feel fake love
Where it isn't heaven from above
Just empty and lonely fake love
And Charley does hide her clothes
But her expensive clothing is soon found
Her mother questioning Charley
And asking about Charley all around
Worried about her daughter's well being
Charley's name known throughout town

But Charley is coming home
Back to reality, back to her loving mother
Who doesn't abuse or hit her
Violent incidents scarring Charley
But Charley no longer used or abused
And - finally - able to graduate school

Memories of that time
Never to be forgotten
But lessons has been learnt
When Charley's fingers were burnt
But Charley is here today
Alive, safe and well
Where her former life as a prostitute
No one can see, no one can tell
For Charley has a new life
Of family and friends
Where she does excel
And do her 9 to 5 job well.