Street Words - 2. Chapter 2 Escape

Whoa! This floored me. There is a lot said in this one. The bitterness at the end knocked me on my ass. "No, I don't give change"... children as a commodity... just brutal. Well done... I will read this a few more times for sure... cheers... Gary

This is hard to read, and I mean that in a good way Tim. I admire authors who can tug at a reader's heartstrings and bring them through the whole gamut of emotions.

You are really talented and it shows

On 09/16/2015 01:17 AM, Headstall said:

Whoa! This floored me. There is a lot said in this one. The bitterness at the end knocked me on my ass. "No, I don't give change"... children as a commodity... just brutal. Well done... I will read this a few more times for sure... cheers... Gary

Hi Gary. It was brutal out there. I remember this guy and as I did my job, I remember thinking ...you probaby have kids my age you prick. I wondered what it was he didn't see and why he thought this was ok. He did ask me if I could break at $20. Jeezus.

On 09/16/2015 05:35 AM, Drew Espinosa said:

This is hard to read, and I mean that in a good way Tim. I admire authors who can tug at a reader's heartstrings and bring them through the whole gamut of emotions.

 

You are really talented and it shows

Drew, thank you. I really appreciate you reading this and your support. It means a lot. Really. Thanks.

tim

It's hard to actually 'like' these, but I did, because you were courageous enough to bare yourself to us. It's heartbreaking but so compelling....

On 09/16/2015 08:59 AM, Defiance19 said:

It's hard to actually 'like' these, but I did, because you were courageous enough to bare yourself to us. It's heartbreaking but so compelling....

Hi Defiance, I get you and I appreciate you taking the time to read them. It be good if it helps people understand that it isn't a choice for lots of kids, it wasnt for me. If I knew then ... I'd never had said a word to my father. I'd have made myself the man he wanted until I left home. But ... if wishes were horses... Thanks for reading. tim

Four words outline the endless, and bottomless shadows encompassing this soul in it's senseless, degrading existence, dotted with a miraculous sense of humor, 'No, I don't give change.' The Divine spark within, lingers on relentlessly.
Monk

On 09/16/2015 06:00 PM, WanderingMonk said:

Four words outline the endless, and bottomless shadows encompassing this soul in it's senseless, degrading existence, dotted with a miraculous sense of humor, 'No, I don't give change.' The Divine spark within, lingers on relentlessly.

Monk

That it does. Thank you for reading these. Thanks for all you've shared with me. Thank you doesn't cover it from my side.

tim

Just so you know, I'm going to try and wait a day or so before I leave comments on any of these. They're so strong I don't want to blurt an impression and maybe miss something bigger.

Like today, when I reread it (twice), the title suddenly stood out. It makes sense as a title, because what follows are the 'escapes.' That's really brilliant and touching too. The escape offered via the drug, the escape offered by the task where maybe the brain can shut down, and then most subtly of all, the 'escape' of the a-hole client from his wrong life choices. It's like you hinted in replies to other reviews, this jerk probably has a deceived woman at home, and worse, kids the same age as you were.

This poem is really powerful. Thanks for posting it.

On 09/17/2015 05:45 AM, AC Benus said:

Just so you know, I'm going to try and wait a day or so before I leave comments on any of these. They're so strong I don't want to blurt an impression and maybe miss something bigger.

 

Like today, when I reread it (twice), the title suddenly stood out. It makes sense as a title, because what follows are the 'escapes.' That's really brilliant and touching too. The escape offered via the drug, the escape offered by the task where maybe the brain can shut down, and then most subtly of all, the 'escape' of the a-hole client from his wrong life choices. It's like you hinted in replies to other reviews, this jerk probably has a deceived woman at home, and worse, kids the same age as you were.

 

This poem is really powerful. Thanks for posting it.

Hey, thank you. Never thought they were much when I wrote them. I appreciate you reading them and your comments. Never failed to surprise just how many straight guys were out there looking for a young boy to get them off. Made me wonder if there were really any truly straight guys in the world. But as 'customers' they were usually the worst.

Thanks again for reading these. I do sincerely appreciate it.

tim

Realizing this was your life takes my breathe ... I have a son, I can not grasp discarding, abandoning your child to such an existence.

These are powerful words delivered with brutal honesty.

On 09/18/2015 08:37 AM, dughlas said:

Realizing this was your life takes my breathe ... I have a son, I can not grasp discarding, abandoning your child to such an existence.

 

These are powerful words delivered with brutal honesty.

I'm glad dughlas, your son will be safe. I don't know how my father did it either. But it only took him 20 minutes.

Thank you so much for reading and for your kind comments.

tim

I did click the 'Like' button, despite the fact that I don't really 'like' these poems. As poems they're terrific -- they make you stop and think and reread them over and over, and each time you come away with more. But as a sort of autobiography, I don't like them.

It's so easy to see how the street kids (please don't take offense, none was intended), turn to drugs; they need something to numb them so they don't have to think about the horrible pedo john they're with.

These are very powerful, thought-provoking poems, Tim. I realized after I reviewed the previous chapter that I called you 'Mikie', but obviously, if you're 'Mikiesboy', you're not 'Mikie'.

On 09/18/2015 09:23 AM, Lisa said:

I did click the 'Like' button, despite the fact that I don't really 'like' these poems. As poems they're terrific -- they make you stop and think and reread them over and over, and each time you come away with more. But as a sort of autobiography, I don't like them.

 

It's so easy to see how the street kids (please don't take offense, none was intended), turn to drugs; they need something to numb them so they don't have to think about the horrible pedo john they're with.

 

These are very powerful, thought-provoking poems, Tim. I realized after I reviewed the previous chapter that I called you 'Mikie', but obviously, if you're 'Mikiesboy', you're not 'Mikie'.

Hi Lisa ... I get you about liking these. And don't worry about the Mikie thing. It's all good.

Street kid, rent boy, whore, prostitute they are words. They are only bad when that's all you see when you look at someone who's out there. Under that word is a person, hurt, damaged and who likely didn't ask for the life they have. All they want is for you to see them.

Thanks for the comments and your time. I appreciate every minute.

tim

I can't help but view this as a Taoist, and so I apologize if I let my spirituality bleed too much onto the page.

I see this profound balance here of two conflicting perspectives. On one side, you have this need to escape how you feel in the moment, yet then you describe this very deep feeling in the words, "Do you see me? I am your child, we are everyone's". It makes me wonder if the drugs brought you to such a thought, or if this was something you thought when the drugs wore off.

It's amazing how people can distance themselves so easily from the suffering of others. I saw a qupte earlier today that spoke of how humanity has forgotten that we are all connected; that we are all family, and yet fight over such petty things as arbitrary lines on a map, or whose God created whom...

As I read your poem I am reminded once again of the need to see those I interact with as human, not the uniform, the name tag, the lack thereof... All people deserve our respect and love, and for it to be given freely.

Perhaps that wasn't what your poem meant to you. I hardly ever know how close I am to the mark on what was intended, but I believe if a poem speaks to the soul of the poet, it will speak to the soul of those who receive it. Thank you for the lesson.

On 09/19/2015 04:48 PM, Cynus said:

I can't help but view this as a Taoist, and so I apologize if I let my spirituality bleed too much onto the page.

 

I see this profound balance here of two conflicting perspectives. On one side, you have this need to escape how you feel in the moment, yet then you describe this very deep feeling in the words, "Do you see me? I am your child, we are everyone's". It makes me wonder if the drugs brought you to such a thought, or if this was something you thought when the drugs wore off.

 

It's amazing how people can distance themselves so easily from the suffering of others. I saw a qupte earlier today that spoke of how humanity has forgotten that we are all connected; that we are all family, and yet fight over such petty things as arbitrary lines on a map, or whose God created whom...

 

As I read your poem I am reminded once again of the need to see those I interact with as human, not the uniform, the name tag, the lack thereof... All people deserve our respect and love, and for it to be given freely.

 

Perhaps that wasn't what your poem meant to you. I hardly ever know how close I am to the mark on what was intended, but I believe if a poem speaks to the soul of the poet, it will speak to the soul of those who receive it. Thank you for the lesson.

Hi Cynus, you guys are always making me Google stuff, re: Taoist. Lol, but that's good. It wasn't the drugs, when you've been on the street, you know what invisible means. Like hey buddy, see me here the 15yr old girl who you're gonna fk? People see what they want to, and they didnt want to see us. I am never surprised anymore of the cruelty humans can inflict for their own pleasure or gain. Thanks for reading, Cynus, I think you were pretty much right on.

tim

'Any will do – we’re not human'

this hit me real hard...it has been sometime since I have felt my heart ache at reading a poem or a story...

To think this is a reality n not some fiction that u told here, just gave me that heart ache! 

Honest, raw and strong...that's how I felt about ur poem...

3 hours ago, Aviana said:

'Any will do – we’re not human'

this hit me real hard...it has been sometime since I have felt my heart ache at reading a poem or a story...

To think this is a reality n not some fiction that u told here, just gave me that heart ache! 

Honest, raw and strong...that's how I felt about ur poem...

Doing what i did ... you see yourself through other's eyes.. and to them you are not human, you are a receptacle, a means to an end, that's all. Not all were like that...but most.  Thanks for your great comments.