A Servant In A House Poem by adam lizakowski

A Servant in a House

She was 25 years old and had a head full of dreams
Of a better life and a more comfortable future.
A few times she wanted to turn back
From the border. Something was whispering,
“Don’t go; stay.”
The dreams were stronger:
Pretty dresses, comfortable shoes,
Fresh fruit, fish, and other food.
She was young and shapely, thus meeting
A man with a car from her homeland
Was but a matter of time.
She became employed as a servant
In the household of a wealthy couple.
She worked for eight months
Officially for $250 a week,
But she never got a penny.
Her knowledge of English was too weak
For her to fight for her rights.
A dread of becoming jobless
And homeless turned her into a slave.
If she asked about payment, she was beaten.
Her employers took away her passport.
And when she tried to escape, they locked her up.
They kept her tied up for a few weeks,
Beating her daily.
She came to be in such a bad state
That the master of the house drove her to the hospital.
They had to amputate her fingers and toes.
She was also extremely thin.
She had knocked out teeth,
A harmed eye,
And problems with hearing.

She was 25 years old and had a head full of dreams.