Sokunthary Svay is a writer and musician from New York City. Her family fled Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime to a Thai refugee camp, where she was born. Her writing credits include a personal essay, “Leaving Battambang: the City of Answers” in Homelands: Women’s Journeys Across Race, Place and Time (Seal Press, 2007) and articles with a Cambodian American perspective for Hyphen, a San Francisco-based Asian American arts and culture magazine. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Language and Literacy at CCNY. She lives in Forest Hills, Queens with her daughter and husband.
At Least Prostitutes Bring Home Money
Why you come home late in the dark
You wear the dress and stupid big boot no job
Where the money you want me save?
At least prostitute bring home money
What you want for dinner—noodle again?
/Yeah you like your big noodle/
Don’t worry about freckle American men like that
Go to college get marry then work bring home money
I bring home money from hotel tip
You see my shoe only ten dollar on sale at Macy
Hey your period not come yet
Don’t worry we take care of it
Your Daddy say he so sad when you not sleep in your room
Why you go out?
Your brother visit work it his day off
He not even bring home money!
My whole life you never know who I am
I work too hard but all my children hurt me
And your daddy send his family all the money I bring home.