Performer's Poem

I call this one "Abasement in a basement"

I should have got suspicious when I felt him tap my rear
But he said "I'm a producer - I can help with your career"
So I followed him, reluctant, as he led me down the stair
into a dim-lit cellar that increased my sense of fear

He didn't have the aura of a pervert or a pest
So when he started filming me, I thought "It's for the best"
He asked me to unbutton things, to "show a bit of chest"
and said the people watching on the web were all impressed

I said I had some boundaries - he wouldn't see me nude
He said "It's just a screen test, then we'll go and get some food"
Then someone on the internet suggested something crude
And I did it - for the 'thumbs up' - but it didn't help my mood

He told me "You're a natural, you're destined for the screen"
Then suggested - for my showreel - that we do another scene
and even though the script for it was really quite obscene
I didn't want to disappoint - they all seemed very keen

My parents were disgusted, my friends say I'm a tart
My body feels degraded and I have a broken heart
But everyone's career path needs a push to make it start
And it'll all be worth it if it helps me get a part.

RC 12-2-25