FeedWhen Does Innocence Die? (a poem) By Me
July 13, 2010 in Book Club Possibility, Half the Sky, Helping Girls and Women Around the World, human trafficking, poetry Tags: Fight Human Trafficking, Half the Sky, Poem by Margo L. Dill, When Does Innocence Die?
photo by katclay www.flickr.com
I wrote this poem after attending a human trafficking information night at the University of Illinois. I don’t write many poems; but when I have strong emotions about something, the lines just seem to come out.
When Does Innocence Die?
When does innocence die?
From the moment the foreigner saunters
Into the village and lies to her parents about—
A bright future only he can provide for her
In Europe or America or any place but here?
Or is it from the moment the girl of thirteen,
Filled with hope and goals, begs her parents
To let her go and see the world and send money back?
Maybe innocence dies the moment her father,
Doubting each syllable, finally whispers,
“Yes, you can go.”
When does innocence die?
From the moment she’s thrown into the room
With filthy girls, older and younger than her,
And the madam barks to quit her crying and
Put on some nice clothes for the gentlemen?
Or is it from the moment she’s slapped across
The face when she asks how soon she’ll be taken to
The fancy, new modeling agency and the john
Spits in her face and says, “Stupid girl” ?
Maybe innocence dies when the six-year-old
Girl takes her hand and shows her a scar made
By the knife of a john or the madam or her own momma.
When does innocence die?
From the moment she spends her days looking
Out a boarded window and can no longer see—
No clouds, no swaying branches, no puddles after rain?
Or is it from the moment the madam finally comes for her
Grabs her arm and sneers, “He wants you” ?
Maybe innocence dies when she enters the darkened room
With a face full of make-up like a beauty queen and
She sits on the hard bed, waiting for a male hand
To touch her leg and move her gown
Ever so slightly up her thigh.
Innocence died.
To learn more about helping girls and women around the world who are victims of sex trafficking and other crimes, please check out this book: Half the Sky. It’s great for book clubs.
July 13th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
good job; i thought the use of the question When does innocence die? was repeated too often
July 13th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Thanks, Julie. Maybe just at the beginning and end then?
July 13th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Disturbing but very real subject. I personally liked the repetition of the main question. However, it bothers me a bit that while the two larger stanzas are similarly structured, they aren’t exactly the same structure. I like the same phrasing “from the moment…” “or is it…” “maybe innocence dies…” but wish each little grouping has the same number of lines. I know poetry can certainly be free flow, but if you’re going to *almost* follow the same structure for each one, I’d prefer you just go ahead and do it. Does that make sense?
July 13th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
The main purpose of poetry is to evoke emotion. You do that – as Teresa commented, the poem is disturbing. The first stanza is the best – the picture of the father reluctantly letting go is heart rending.
The last two stanzas, I begin to feel over powered . It’s like you keep grabbing me and forcing me to look more closely at a scene I really don’t want to see. But that is your intent, right?
I don’t know much about technical questions of structure, so I can’t speak to that aspect of it
July 14th, 2010 at 6:11 am
Thanks for all the comments, everyone! I appreciate you taking the time to read it and to tell me what you think.
Poetry is hard!