Home Away From Home

If you are a foreign maid, in a foreign land
so far, far away from home -
you are really at the mercy of others
for your needs... and your life even...

For if you are a foreign maid
you are all, all alone
in a land of strangers
in the land of fear -
fear for your own safety,
fear for what you are landing yourself into...

For a boss could be sweet as sugar -
yet maintain the coolness of a stranger
one day she might sister or mother you -
the next day she might be the tigress,
ready to swallow you up:
"head, and shoulders, knees and toes" - all...

A boss may shout at you - treat you like a dog -
but you are expected - to treat her like a queen;
running about - on your feet all day -
smiling politely - to her every beck and call;
sometimes she can be generous and shower you with gifts -
but most times she'll be counting the pennies,
that she had spent on your upkeep -
and squeeze every ounce back from you!

Oh and you are not supposed to cry -
but to show a happy, smiling face to all her friends
and to say you are very happy and grateful -
God had sent you to her and no one else!
When you could hardly stand all the work
and the stress, upon stress of non-stop work
(she'll even dig out old forgotten treasures
and all her ancient silver ware
to be scrubbed, and scrubbed, and polished,
till you could see your tearful face!)

Oh that's the lot of a stranger -
working for strangers in a foreign land;
and no wonder too you had to cry -
when too tired to drag your feet,
you are at last allowed a few hours' repose -
to begin the drudgery all over again in a few hours!
No wonder you had to cry of loneliness -
in this foreign land of strangers:
missing your loved ones so, so far away -
and the dimpled smile of your young children,
and the tears would flow freely -
to think of the love you could not give...

And when it's your birthday -
and your mum did not call to send birthday wishes
you could not stop the tears from flowing -
a stranger, in this land among strangers ...