Even in
the West, being openly gay is not as easy as some people try to make out; in
other parts of the world it remains at best a taboo subject, at worst a criminal
offence that can lead to incarceration in prison or worse.
Much
depends on whether or not we grow up in a gay-friendly environment; a supportive
network of family and friends can male all the difference. Sadly, not all gay
people (could be anyone, anywhere)
are fortunate to have this.
There are
still far too many misleading and offensive stereotypes flying around that
persist in attaching themselves to less enlightened minds among the heterosexual
majority. We have come a long way since the dark days of my youth, but there is
still much to do before being gay no longer has no stigma whatever attached to
it in anyone’s mind.
Meanwhile,
the more open we can be about the gay ethic and the fewer people that prefer not to stand up and be counted (for whatever
reason)...so much the better for everyone.
GAY GETS
REAL
I was but a moving image,
all substance gone,
yet convincing enough to pass
for a whole person;
my mouth let fly with words
for unperceptive ears,
limbs in sufficiently good order
for most labours
People looked into my eyes
and saw what they chose,
invariably a misplaced metaphor
for themselves;
beyond a conditioned will
to live up to its name,
my humanity was but a virtual
ploy in a computer game
Even when I discovered love
and found my own way
in life, it screwed up the works
for being gay…
or so I was told by webmasters
vying for my attentions,
but I’d escaped virtual mode,
ignored their directions
No longer a moving image,
all substance restored,
I see, smell, hear, speak, relate
to the world…
for all its frailties and failures,
and comprehend
how learning from its strengths
matters most in the end
[From: On the Battlefields Of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly
Books, 2010]
Please note: All my
poetry titles are still in print, but only on sale in the UK.
There
will be no further print runs of my poetry titles except for the latest, Tracking
the Torchbearer; I hope to upload e-editions to amazon later this year.
Second editions will not be available until after publication of a final print
collection in 2015; these will contain revisions of some poems and only be
available as e-books.
Meanwhile, signed copies if 1st eds.
can be obtained from me at a generous blogger discount; this applies to
overseas as well as UK readers.
Contact: rogertab@aol.com with
'Blog Reader' or Poetry Collection' in the subject field (or the email will not
be opened).






