Red Light District

A seeping light breaks through the cement walls
Of the Red Light District brothels
Acknowledging every crack and starving spider
Igniting haggard and emaciated rats chewing on stale corn
The smell of overcooked illegal alcohol
Already began to fill the halls two hours ago
Inside you will find a sense of propriety
Past the dried feces, vomit and mud
Children are waking with the sun
Preparing to clean the soot encrusted bowls and plates
Accompanied by buckets overflowing with unfiltered well water

There is a screaming lingering into the open windows
Someone has misbehaved
The day begins and ends with the beating of child
Cries of, ‘you filthy little bitch’, ‘you worthless cunt’,
‘I’ll throw you out’
Are common with the raising of the sun
And the sour smell of hash and piss
Addiction is an understatement for the Red Light District

The line starts earlier every year
Forced in at fourteen, thirteen, twelve and finally eleven
Any way to make money is vital
Families grow, with no food
And the children never quite know how to say no
Their days are numbered
Before their addictions, their turn in the line and their deaths
The rising sun will soon close in
The brothel will close in