Don't You Dare Blame This on My Mother

Generational trauma is rarely addressed when working with commercially sexually exploited youth and their families. Yet, it is essential to understanding the larger context of exploitation. The trauma of parents can easily be overlooked and judgment placed on them for their lack of understanding of exploitation and interactions with their youth.  Below is a poem by Nola Brantley.

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Don’t you dear blame my mother, she entered the foster care system at the tender age of three
Don’t you dear blame my mother, she was the best that she could be 
Don’t you dear blame my mother, she is the strongest woman I know 
Don’t you dear blame my mother, I love her so 
Don’t you dear blame my mother she struggled and she strived 
Don’t you dear blame my mother, it is because of her that I am alive 
Don’t you dear blame my mother, so full of pain she cut herself and laid in a puddle of her own blood before the age of thirteen
Don’t you blame my mother, when having a healthy family was her only dream
Don’t you dear blame my mother, because she did the best that she could 
Don’t you dear blame my mother , keeping it real she was ONE of the best in the hood
Don’t you dear blame my mother, when it goes so much deeper then her and then me 
Don’t you dear blame this on my mother and don’t you dear blame this on ME!