http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Let some people say what they will, there is nothing ‘unnatural’ about being gay. Nor are we select products of our environment. We are human beings and no less natural for being gay than if we were (heaven forbid) straight. We come into the world this way and bigots should keep in mind that we are (or should be) a common humanity, whatever (and wherever) our socio-cultural-religious roots.
As I have said time and again on the blogs, and written poems on the same theme, sexuality has to be in the genes or how else can we explain that there are gay, homosexual, queer people (what's in a name anyway?) world-wide from all manner of socio-cultural-religious backgrounds? Furthermore, history tells us that many gay people have made a valuable contribution to the arts and sciences, so that hardly justifies the bigots and religious fundamentalists dismissing us for not ticking the right boxes. [Who wants to tick theirs anyway?]
In other words, we’re all in the same boat and if the boat is top heavy, no one is going to use our sexuality as a reason for our being the first to be thrown overboard. Just let them try, yeah?
Sexuality is only a part of our whole identity; it is the whole that counts. How would the socio-cultural-religious homophobes (by any other name) among us like it if we were to all but ignore everything about them except for their having drawn the heterosexual straw in the womb?
For anyone interested you can hear me read today’s poem on Brighton beach back in May for my YouTube channel. Incidentally, the camcorder we were using was stolen and I replaced it with an updated version of the same model that seems to work much better. We have recently improved recordings further by using a digital Dictaphone, but can only use this for voice-overs. I love recording on location, but we don’t have top of the range equipment (more like the reverse) so have to hope for the best. A number of viewers have been in touch to say they enjoy my YouTube channel while Graham and I have great fun making the videos so that’s good enough for us. Moreover, reading the poems and editing the videos has been a very enjoyable learning curve for Graham and me so look out for more as time goes by.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxDfd2Pxqic
If the link doesn’t work, go to my YouTube channel. Click on ‘see all’ and scroll down to Brighton in May (3):
http://www.youtube.com/rogerNtaber
[OR (updated 2012) simply click on the video below in which it is one of two poems I read.]
This poem is a kenning.
MILLIONS LIKE US
I am but one among many
sometimes pushed into a corner
or against a wall,
nor does Earth Mother always hear
when I call on her
to referee a fair fight, whistle them
downwind who seek
to wipe me out, cast doubt
on my birthright
I can but catch the tears
Earth Mother lets fall for failing me
sometimes, wash myself clean
of the world’s blood, sweat and dirt
staining my shirt,
pick myself up again, smile
in the face of adversity,
signal to my enemy that I am not
discouraged easily
I take hope and inspiration
from Earth Mother’s heartfelt concern
for all her children,
vulnerable as some of us are
to humankind’s dark side, especially
the likes of me,
frowned upon by a majority
bent on playing up to temporal ‘norms’
and a fragile spirituality
Call me out, who puts the ‘I’ in Identity,
the gene nature lets speak for sexuality
Copyright R. N. Taber 2009
[Note: This poem will be included in my collection Tracking The Torchbearer scheduled for publication in February/March 2012]
Let some people say what they will, there is nothing ‘unnatural’ about being gay. Nor are we select products of our environment. We are human beings and no less natural for being gay than if we were (heaven forbid) straight. We come into the world this way and bigots should keep in mind that we are (or should be) a common humanity, whatever (and wherever) our socio-cultural-religious roots.
As I have said time and again on the blogs, and written poems on the same theme, sexuality has to be in the genes or how else can we explain that there are gay, homosexual, queer people (what's in a name anyway?) world-wide from all manner of socio-cultural-religious backgrounds? Furthermore, history tells us that many gay people have made a valuable contribution to the arts and sciences, so that hardly justifies the bigots and religious fundamentalists dismissing us for not ticking the right boxes. [Who wants to tick theirs anyway?]
In other words, we’re all in the same boat and if the boat is top heavy, no one is going to use our sexuality as a reason for our being the first to be thrown overboard. Just let them try, yeah?
Sexuality is only a part of our whole identity; it is the whole that counts. How would the socio-cultural-religious homophobes (by any other name) among us like it if we were to all but ignore everything about them except for their having drawn the heterosexual straw in the womb?
For anyone interested you can hear me read today’s poem on Brighton beach back in May for my YouTube channel. Incidentally, the camcorder we were using was stolen and I replaced it with an updated version of the same model that seems to work much better. We have recently improved recordings further by using a digital Dictaphone, but can only use this for voice-overs. I love recording on location, but we don’t have top of the range equipment (more like the reverse) so have to hope for the best. A number of viewers have been in touch to say they enjoy my YouTube channel while Graham and I have great fun making the videos so that’s good enough for us. Moreover, reading the poems and editing the videos has been a very enjoyable learning curve for Graham and me so look out for more as time goes by.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxDfd2Pxqic
If the link doesn’t work, go to my YouTube channel. Click on ‘see all’ and scroll down to Brighton in May (3):
http://www.youtube.com/rogerNtaber
This poem is a kenning.
MILLIONS LIKE US
I am but one among many
sometimes pushed into a corner
or against a wall,
nor does Earth Mother always hear
when I call on her
to referee a fair fight, whistle them
downwind who seek
to wipe me out, cast doubt
on my birthright
I can but catch the tears
Earth Mother lets fall for failing me
sometimes, wash myself clean
of the world’s blood, sweat and dirt
staining my shirt,
pick myself up again, smile
in the face of adversity,
signal to my enemy that I am not
discouraged easily
I take hope and inspiration
from Earth Mother’s heartfelt concern
for all her children,
vulnerable as some of us are
to humankind’s dark side, especially
the likes of me,
frowned upon by a majority
bent on playing up to temporal ‘norms’
and a fragile spirituality
Call me out, who puts the ‘I’ in Identity,
the gene nature lets speak for sexuality
Copyright R. N. Taber 2009
[Note: This poem will be included in my collection Tracking The Torchbearer scheduled for publication in February/March 2012]
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