Rachelle Limbeck is a survivor of sex trafficking in Washington state who has dedicated her life to ending human trafficking. Rachelle has found her voice through poetry, prose, and activism. Her submission is a poem about her experience, entitled He Sold My Soul.
He Sold My Soul
He sold my soul for a hundred bucks,
Sent me inside, while he sits in the truck.
Walk up to the door and knock;
Feel scared and ashamed, can’t make it stop.
Humiliated, I wish I was a pet;
At least then, maybe, I’d be treated with a little more respect
The door opens; I feel sick
I really don’t want to turn this trick
But my pimp is watching nearby,
so I put on a pretty smile for the guy–the ultimate lie
Shut your emotions down; no one wants to see you cry
Take your clothes off, do what needs to be done
While thinking about what he’ll do with the money–maybe take me somewhere fun?
Counting dollars in your head, one at a time,
My pimp might buy me a line.
I need some drugs to take this memory away–
hopefully, it’ll kill me today.
He sold my soul for a hundred bucks,
But he says he loves me, that I’m lucky, that not many men could stand a girl with edges so rough.
The job is done, I walk back outside
He slams his door shut.
I limp to the car,
Wish I could scrub off the scars
Nobody cares that you’re dying inside,
Not one single person ever bothers to ask,
“Why?”
Biography
Rachelle Limbeck is a survivor of sex trafficking in Washington state who has dedicated her life to ending human trafficking and the risk factors of someone getting trafficked, i.e. poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, etc. Rachelle is a passionate cellist. Since escaping trafficking, she has gotten her GED, is going to college, has gotten a job, has been sober for 3 years (since the day she left), and mustered the courage to complete her human trafficking case in the courts. Rachelle is a graduate of Engedi Refuge Ministries, a program for survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation, and she has found her voice through poetry, prose, and activism.