When Mother had nowhere to live
the council found her a place with a widower
and his two sons to clean the house
and cook meals
but she and her two daughters
ate supper in the bedroom we shared
—cold meat and crisps on a bun
together because the man who let us live there
assumed housekeeping also meant sex
so we had to stay in the bedroom
to sleep and eat our meals
while the boys showed their resentment
with insults as we rushed
from bedroom to back door.
I remember hurrying
out of the house
quickly with fear
and guilt for leaving
Mother alone in there.
Wouldn’t it be nice
if people earned sex
from respect and caring?
Wouldn’t it be good
if our society understood
that sex is about love
instead of power?
Wouldn’t life be easier
if we learned to honour our feelings
negotiated with them first
before we built factories and railways?
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