Shirley-Anne Kennedy

Presidents Club

by Shirley-Anne Kennedy

Thursday 25th January 2018 2:41 pm (first posted Wednesday 24th January 2018 5:45 pm)

I hoped we had left it all behind.

Decades since I crossed the factory floor

when chants of ‘get your tits out for the lads’

bounced off the nude pics pinned to the walls.

Blinding myself to the gestures and grunts,

the stares and leers, the very real fears.

The “I’m not taking orders from a woman.”

I hoped we had left it all behind

with the men who would rather fuck over

than partner someone who beat the odds,

though the rewards are always less.

Less wages, minus the bonus

though guaranteed the advances.

The “wrong time of the month is it love?”

I hoped we had left it all behind

yet no matter how far we travel

it survives and closely follows.

Determined to show us it’s the boss.

Flexing power, keeping us in our place.

Demonstrating things will never change.

The “they were paid a decent wage.”

S A Kennedy

🌷 (5)

◄ Coat of Snow

There, there ►

Comments

Rick Varden

Sun 4th Feb 2018 10:40

Great stuff Shirley,
Please have a butchers at my ‘Macho Male Tale’. I think great poetry minds think alike. Well done.

keith jeffries

Mon 29th Jan 2018 20:12

Shirley, thank you. My nan was quite a gal. During a heavy air raid during the last war, an air raid warden knocked on her front door and suggested she go the local public shelter. She stood on the door step and replied, ¨Do you think Adolf Hitler is going to make me run down some hole in the ground for fear of him?¨She promptly returned to her chaise longue, lit a cigarette, sipped her pale ale and continued to have the occasional humbug toffee. Keith

Shirley-Anne Kennedy

Mon 29th Jan 2018 11:31

Thank you for all the comments.

Your Nan sounds quite a Gal Keith ?

raypool

Fri 26th Jan 2018 21:49

Shirley-Anne, my view on this incident is that unchecked testosterone, inflated egos, and alcohol is at the core of this flexing of prehistoric muscle. Unfortunately, the business of escorting I suppose represents a certain risk taking IMO. but miraculously there have recently been giant steps to push this phenomenon into the spotlight along with I suppose Benny Hill and On the Buses humour.

Ray (with respect)

keith jeffries

Thu 25th Jan 2018 16:26

Shirley, Thank you for this excellent poem and for standing up and being counted, for exposing such disgusting behaviour and so eloquently. My dear Nan, long departed this life, would have wiped the floor with them and left them all behind. Very well done and said. Great words. Keith

M.C. Newberry

Thu 25th Jan 2018 16:07

The general rule of pro rata pay and recognition for
the same work done is to be supported in all works of life
and any discrepancy must be able to withstand both
moral and legal examination.
The Presidents Club has been going for over 30 years,
yet the media source (the Financial Times for heavens
sake) chose only now to make its "investigative" report.
Women have been dealing with this aspect of male
behaviour efficiently for generations if we are talking
about boorish juvenile efforts to be "one of the boys" in
an all male testosterone-driven setting. The fact that
this fund raising event is suddenly under the "how awful"
microscope of front page headlines says much about how the media loves to lead on "outrage" and "shock" when
far more important, far more shocking things are
happening in the world every hour of every day.
"Rich" has more than one meaning when considering the
scenario and the elevation of bad behaviour into a
social solecism of the most grievous kind.

Shirley-Anne Kennedy

Thu 25th Jan 2018 14:40

Thank you all for the comments. Appreciated ?

None of us are to blame for the actions of others Leon so please do not feel ashamed. Those people need to own their own actions and they include Ms Dandridge of Artista (responsible for supplying 'the girls' and 'non-disclosure' contracts) who said, "There is a code of conduct that we follow. I am not aware of any reports of sexual harassment and with the calibre of guest, I would be astonished." Now there's someone in need of a reality check!

<Deleted User> (17847)

Thu 25th Jan 2018 09:52

the power in your words Shirley-Anne combined with the caveman actions of those who call themselves gentlemen make me feel ashamed of being a man.

Presidents club? the club is the one idiots like this continually 'try' using to beat women down but are they succeeding? don't make me laugh!

Thank you for standing up and being counted.

Frances Macaulay Forde

Thu 25th Jan 2018 02:40

Yes, a good and timely comment.

Big Sal

Wed 24th Jan 2018 22:17

Determination is the best path to demonstrate strength of character. Good poem.

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