Singing Protest Songs with an Example from Lefty Unplugged

Yesterday I listened to Lefty Unplugged singing "Ballad of a Rich Man" and check out the lyrics to the song.  I said at the time that I think the lyrics are brilliant but that's kind of dismissive.  After all the work he did to make the song, all I've got to say is a single word?  Well, no.  Rather than brilliant, let's go with "Ballad of a Rich Man" being an extremely well-crafted protest song with deliberate an incisive lyrics that state his position strongly and effectively.

"The Whores of Amsterdam" is one of my poems that's a reaction to seeing Moroccan prostitutes in store windows in Amsterdam and my perception that this is the most overt act of human slavery I have ever seen.  Cat and I talked about this at some length and she reviewed prostitution in Germany where it is legal and has no particular stigma.  Both of us agreed that this is no big deal as it's a woman's right to decide whatever she wants to do.  However, I have no belief at all that the Moroccan women in those Amsterdam store windows have rights of any kind and, in my view, whoever was behind them was debasing sex, debasing prostitution, and debasing humanity.


The Whores of Amsterdam


We walked past the whores this evening
the windowed creatures of the dark.
Leering mud-packed eyes of promise
for something lost in freakshow farce.

We turned into an alley
and she pulled me to one side.
We moved to a dark doorway
as a sheltered place to hide.

She said I need you in me
against the horror all around
I want you now to love me
and I won't make a sound.

In loathing and in passion,
we kissed each other hard.
Growing more to the cold moment
in this ancient stone courtyard.

She freed herself to take me
We moved quickly then as one.
The fire burned so brightly
as the passion in the sun.

Exploding into rainbows
we stopped and didn't move.
It only stayed a moment
and then again alone.

We walked past the whores this evening
the windowed creatures of the dark.
Leering mud-packed eyes of promise
for something lost in freakshow farce.


Cat's reaction to it was that it's interesting and that's the kiss of death to any work of art but the death stroke isn't from her hand but rather from mine as the meaning would be clear if I had written it better.  Cat is a very smart woman, blazing smart, in fact, so any failing in comprehension is my fault.  My purpose was to show the horror of the prostitutes in the store windows and I deliberately called them whores to put that right in your face.  I set the couple having sex in an alleyway to show the cheapening of sex in what I perceived to be happening, not simply from an act of prostitution but rather the enslavement of women to make it happen.

Don't take this as a point by point comparison with Lefty's lyrics as that isn't my purpose at all.  What I see is that Lefty's poem is well-crafted whereas mine is not and I have presented his a representative of a high standard.  So I'm curious what you think!