Conversations Magazine, March/April 2024

Conversations Magazine, March/April 2024

Sunday, April 8, 2012

(POEM) Her Name Is Ming


by April Mahoney

Like a fleeting boat loaded full of refugees tossing in a restless sea those dollar bills
wash along the shore with the tide while waves splash against the rocks crashing as it
makes land fall depositing seaweed smelling salty whores onto the beach

She's Vietnamese,14, stole and sold into slavery 2003

Master waiting cash in hand, you arrived safely little damage
Bond gagged, drugged, dragged like a rag doll by her hairs beaten, starved, blind folded
then beaten again nastiness forced  its way in 
unrecognizable shamed once young sweet, delicate ,tender innocence bares no resemblance
to her identity.

Ingrained in the memory are the chants of her belief she will not surrender easily
fighting to protect her virginity.

Caption reads:  Please call this number if you have seen or heard anything.
 
Rich girls/boys families all over the TV news with a face, a last known place, but for
Ming nothing not a trace where is Nancy Grace ?
She yells at the screen "Help me" as a tear trickles down her face.

Be nice make long love to customer all night, Good girls call home while we listen on the
phone, If you utter a word out- of -line it will be your last time. Tell family you're
doing good and everything is fine.

Ming her name only 14 sold into slavery, bonded, stored,  locked, chained  road like an
Amtrak train on her back her legs are gapped. Dry rusty cracked heels face the ceiling
going through the motions expressing no emotion no feeling as she passes people on the
streets dazed, lost, incomplete looking for a way to escape.

Captured and caged plotting planning tortured, imprisoned as they lay in wait easy to
concord and manipulated , desecrated, humiliated promised freedom, a better life in these
United States.

Awh but that lock did un-click a moment of truth finally cuts lose.  Her captures now her
prey lay still to drain with every drop of blood may they feel her pain her shame when
imprisoned for no reason there is no redemption but she said she forgives them.

She is free, she do nails for me.

They never even asked her, her name, I guess that's because her English not so plain.
Just so you know her name is Ming, She was just 14.

***

Find out more about award-winning author/poet April Mahoney by visiting www.agoodperson.biz.

1 comment:

  1. Oh! Brilliant! The emotion...the beat...made my heart hurt and brought more than one tear. How many Mings there are? We will never know?

    Thank You!

    ReplyDelete