http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
For centuries, lovers worldwide have lit a candle in their windows when they are apart for any reason, not just for remembrance (how can we forget?) but to wish them safe and guide them home to us.
There are gay and transgender men and women worldwide still being persecuted for or made to live in fear as a result of their sexuality or gender identity in societies where socio-cultural-religious bigotry flourishes and homophobia raises its ugly head time and time again.
During and beyond this LGBT History Month here in the UK, let’s keep a second candle burning in our hearts for them, too, in the hope that they might find love and peace one day in a mature, intelligent humane society; a society led by mature, humane, GOOD people instead of the grossly immature, inhumane and spiritually unenlightened (whatever their religion) who profess to have society’s best interests at heart when all they really have at heart is their own.
It is not only gay people who suffer under repressive regimes, of course. I hear from and read about lovers who have secret trysts or are kept apart altogether for various socio-cultural-religious reasons. So let’s keep a third candle burning for them too, yeah? [Even in the world's more repressive regimes, not everyone among the heterosexual majority is gay-unfriendly, thank goodness! Humanity will give repression old the heave-ho yet ...]
As for certain cultures and religions that reject same sex relationships to the extent of calling them
sinful ... it is as Jesus of Nazareth once said, "Let he (or she) who is without sin, cast the first stone."
This poem is a villanelle.
A CANDLE FOR GAY LOVERS
I light a candle in my window,
it burns there each night;
I so need my love to know
For the dreams we’d let show
proudly day and night,
I light a candle in my window
No bigots chase your shadow
from my candle’s light;
I so need my love to know
It’s because they hurt us so,
said our love wasn’t right,
I light a candle in my window
Skin turned a weepy yellow,
hair an angry white;
I so need my love to know
May those dreams we’d follow
see other gay lovers right;
I light a candle in my window,
I so need my love to know
Copyright R, N. Taber 2008
For centuries, lovers worldwide have lit a candle in their windows when they are apart for any reason, not just for remembrance (how can we forget?) but to wish them safe and guide them home to us.
There are gay and transgender men and women worldwide still being persecuted for or made to live in fear as a result of their sexuality or gender identity in societies where socio-cultural-religious bigotry flourishes and homophobia raises its ugly head time and time again.
During and beyond this LGBT History Month here in the UK, let’s keep a second candle burning in our hearts for them, too, in the hope that they might find love and peace one day in a mature, intelligent humane society; a society led by mature, humane, GOOD people instead of the grossly immature, inhumane and spiritually unenlightened (whatever their religion) who profess to have society’s best interests at heart when all they really have at heart is their own.
As for certain cultures and religions that reject same sex relationships to the extent of calling them
sinful ... it is as Jesus of Nazareth once said, "Let he (or she) who is without sin, cast the first stone."
This poem is a villanelle.
A CANDLE FOR GAY LOVERS
I light a candle in my window,
it burns there each night;
I so need my love to know
For the dreams we’d let show
proudly day and night,
I light a candle in my window
No bigots chase your shadow
from my candle’s light;
I so need my love to know
It’s because they hurt us so,
said our love wasn’t right,
I light a candle in my window
Skin turned a weepy yellow,
hair an angry white;
I so need my love to know
May those dreams we’d follow
see other gay lovers right;
I light a candle in my window,
I so need my love to know
Copyright R, N. Taber 2008
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