Having trawled through the archives of this blog, I came across this poem, and thought I should bring it to life. Its theme is trafficking, which is unfortunately a pertinent global humanitarian issue. Trafficking comes in many forms, from prostitution to child slavery, and this poem discusses trafficking with regards to children. Currently there are in the region of 1.2 million children who are being trafficked every year and, although this poem tackles the sexual exploitation of trafficked children, the brutal concept comes in many other forms, such as forced labour, domestic servitude and the removal of human organs.
For those who are interested in learning more about trafficking, and in particular Amnesty International’s work regarding trafficking, I recommend reading their (slightly outdated) 2004 summary on the situation in Kosovo “So does that mean I have rights?”

It‘s a game to some
Who love the fun
Who wheel and deal
Who love to steal
The innocent child
False documents filed
Who make a claim
Without any shame

Who make a profit
Before we can stop it

Who leave that child
To be defiled
Under the bodies
Of sexual beasts
Devouring their feasts

Innocents‘ alarmed
Purity harmed

It‘s up to us all
A wake-up call
To feel the shame
To shoulder the blame
To stop the game
To save the poor
To secure the law

To end the business
Of profit and gain
At expense of pain
To create alarm
To stop the harm

And end the sick fun
Of the trafficking run