http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
[Update Dec 8th 2017]: Following a referendum where 68% or voters were in favour of legalising marriage between same-sex couples, gay marriage in Australia is now officially legal. An overwhelming majority of MPs voted yesterday to change the Marriage Act, eight days after a similarly decisive result in the Senate. Great news for LGBT folks not only in Australia but everywhere as we continue to get the better of outdated bigotry world wide. We may have a long way to go yet in some countries, even in part of the West...but...hopefully, homophobia on the world stage is fighting a losing battle.]
[Update May 24th 2015: Yesterday, young people played an integral part in a referendum in the Republic of Ireland that voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage. Such a referendum is a global first and great news for gay people worldwide; not least, it is also a also a wake-up call for the Catholic Church, Christianity in general, and other religions which, for far too long, have held us in contempt. Young people are the future, one which (given the opportunity) says 'NO' to bigots, religious or otherwise. ]
[Update May 19th 2015: Now, I may not be a religious person, but I believe passionately in a common humanity, We keep hearing about Christian groups/businesses etc. refusing to accommodate gay couples in one sense or another, citing religious reasons. Yet the whole point of the Good Samaritan parable that Jesus told his followers is that the Jews and Samaritans loathed each other. The Christianity that Jesus founded did not discriminate, but embraced everyone. So, in whose name do Christians today reject the rights of gay couples...?
[Update March 28th 2014: Gay marriage will be legal in the UK after today. All my gay fields and I are happy with civil partnerships, but it is a happy fay for those gay couples for whom religion is an important part of daily life. Good luck to them all. Meanwhile, I would ask those who are against the idea of gay marriage, why should gay people be exempt from either a public blessing in (any) place of worship or declaring their love before God for Him as well as each other? I am assured there is little or no anti-gay propaganda in any of the Holy Books and those Christians who are obsessed with Leviticus could do worse then read my poem, Answering Leviticus.
http://rogertab.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/answering-leviticus.html
[For more video-poems: https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerNtaber/videos ]
Promising to press ahead with plans for same-sex marriages, Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, said in The Daily Telegraph that she does not believe The Church has the exclusive right to say who can marry. While acknowledging the issue provokes strong feelings, she adds that the State is entitled to make changes to the union, and that the Church did not 'own' marriage.
Since I subscribe to no religion, I do not have strong feelings on the matter. As far as I am concerned, a Civil Partnership is the same as a civil marriage. However, it will please gay Christians who would then be able to marry in any church besides the United Reformed Church that has been conducting same sex marriages for years. Just because I reject religion doesn’t mean to say I don’t acknowledge its importance to those for whom it is integral to their way of life. [It isn’t religion that I constantly attack, but the hypocrisy of many who choose to interpret (any) religion to suit their own personal agendas.]
In recent years, I have written poems for friends and others celebrating their civil partnerships, and here are a few of them, all villanelles:
A SONG FOR GAY LOVERS
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
our love is pure;
whatever people say, it will endure
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
happiness is ours;
day by day, winging heaven’s towers
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
time is on our side;
ebb or flow, let golden hours decide
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
we can dream too;
come what may, we’ll see it through
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
our love is pure;
whatever people say, we will endure
Copyright R. N. Taber 2007
[From: Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007]
CROWNING GLORY
Watch dark clouds roll away,
Apollo smiling down
on a very special wedding day
Share kisses like a Falls spray
greeting heaven;
watch dark clouds roll away
No matter what some may say,
love wears poetry’s crown
on a very special wedding day
Love doesn’t care if we’re gay,
gladly takes us for its own;
watch dark clouds roll away
Writing love lines in life’s clay,
never to disown…
on a very special wedding day
In love, peace, come what may,
twin doves never alone;
watch dark clouds roll away
on a very special wedding day
Copyright R. N. Taber 2010
[From: On the Battlefields of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]
FREE SPIRITS
To Earth Mother, joy among tears
wherever we run
the gamut of life’s fears
Keeping faith with friendly trees,
embracing every one;
To Earth Mother, joy among tears
Come glorious sunsets on pastures
pink and green…
the gamut of life’s fears
Choice, all humankind gladly frees
to be true to its own;
To Earth Mother, joy among tears
Peace (nature too) will find enemies
where its colours run
the gamut of life’s tears
Gay love, blessed by summer kisses,
a bid for freedom won!
To Earth Mother, joy among tears,
the gamut of life’s fears
Copyright R. N. Taber 2010
[From: On the Battlefields of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]
WHERE SONGBIRDS FLY
Where songbirds fly
through time and space
go you and I
Love, it never dies,
but haunts a secret place
where songbirds fly
Where its tears run dry,
a smile on Heaven’s face,
go you and I
Nature’s kindlier eye . personal
upon our every embrace
where songbirds fly
Where no one asks why
love takes pride of place,
go you and I
For every bigot’s lie,
G-A-Y laughing in its face
where songbirds fly,
you and I
Copyright R. N. Taber 2013
[Note: Written especially for the civil partnership between good friends of mine, 2013.]
[Update Dec 8th 2017]: Following a referendum where 68% or voters were in favour of legalising marriage between same-sex couples, gay marriage in Australia is now officially legal. An overwhelming majority of MPs voted yesterday to change the Marriage Act, eight days after a similarly decisive result in the Senate. Great news for LGBT folks not only in Australia but everywhere as we continue to get the better of outdated bigotry world wide. We may have a long way to go yet in some countries, even in part of the West...but...hopefully, homophobia on the world stage is fighting a losing battle.]
[Update May 24th 2015: Yesterday, young people played an integral part in a referendum in the Republic of Ireland that voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage. Such a referendum is a global first and great news for gay people worldwide; not least, it is also a also a wake-up call for the Catholic Church, Christianity in general, and other religions which, for far too long, have held us in contempt. Young people are the future, one which (given the opportunity) says 'NO' to bigots, religious or otherwise. ]
[Update May 19th 2015: Now, I may not be a religious person, but I believe passionately in a common humanity, We keep hearing about Christian groups/businesses etc. refusing to accommodate gay couples in one sense or another, citing religious reasons. Yet the whole point of the Good Samaritan parable that Jesus told his followers is that the Jews and Samaritans loathed each other. The Christianity that Jesus founded did not discriminate, but embraced everyone. So, in whose name do Christians today reject the rights of gay couples...?
[Update March 28th 2014: Gay marriage will be legal in the UK after today. All my gay fields and I are happy with civil partnerships, but it is a happy fay for those gay couples for whom religion is an important part of daily life. Good luck to them all. Meanwhile, I would ask those who are against the idea of gay marriage, why should gay people be exempt from either a public blessing in (any) place of worship or declaring their love before God for Him as well as each other? I am assured there is little or no anti-gay propaganda in any of the Holy Books and those Christians who are obsessed with Leviticus could do worse then read my poem, Answering Leviticus.
http://rogertab.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/answering-leviticus.html
[For more video-poems: https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerNtaber/videos ]
Promising to press ahead with plans for same-sex marriages, Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, said in The Daily Telegraph that she does not believe The Church has the exclusive right to say who can marry. While acknowledging the issue provokes strong feelings, she adds that the State is entitled to make changes to the union, and that the Church did not 'own' marriage.
Since I subscribe to no religion, I do not have strong feelings on the matter. As far as I am concerned, a Civil Partnership is the same as a civil marriage. However, it will please gay Christians who would then be able to marry in any church besides the United Reformed Church that has been conducting same sex marriages for years. Just because I reject religion doesn’t mean to say I don’t acknowledge its importance to those for whom it is integral to their way of life. [It isn’t religion that I constantly attack, but the hypocrisy of many who choose to interpret (any) religion to suit their own personal agendas.]
In recent years, I have written poems for friends and others celebrating their civil partnerships, and here are a few of them, all villanelles:
A SONG FOR GAY LOVERS
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
our love is pure;
whatever people say, it will endure
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
happiness is ours;
day by day, winging heaven’s towers
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
time is on our side;
ebb or flow, let golden hours decide
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
we can dream too;
come what may, we’ll see it through
It doesn’t matter that we’re gay,
our love is pure;
whatever people say, we will endure
Copyright R. N. Taber 2007
[From: Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007]
CROWNING GLORY
Watch dark clouds roll away,
Apollo smiling down
on a very special wedding day
Share kisses like a Falls spray
greeting heaven;
watch dark clouds roll away
No matter what some may say,
love wears poetry’s crown
on a very special wedding day
Love doesn’t care if we’re gay,
gladly takes us for its own;
watch dark clouds roll away
Writing love lines in life’s clay,
never to disown…
on a very special wedding day
In love, peace, come what may,
twin doves never alone;
watch dark clouds roll away
on a very special wedding day
Copyright R. N. Taber 2010
[From: On the Battlefields of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]
FREE SPIRITS
To Earth Mother, joy among tears
wherever we run
the gamut of life’s fears
Keeping faith with friendly trees,
embracing every one;
To Earth Mother, joy among tears
Come glorious sunsets on pastures
pink and green…
the gamut of life’s fears
Choice, all humankind gladly frees
to be true to its own;
To Earth Mother, joy among tears
Peace (nature too) will find enemies
where its colours run
the gamut of life’s tears
Gay love, blessed by summer kisses,
a bid for freedom won!
To Earth Mother, joy among tears,
the gamut of life’s fears
Copyright R. N. Taber 2010
[From: On the Battlefields of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]
WHERE SONGBIRDS FLY
Where songbirds fly
through time and space
go you and I
Love, it never dies,
but haunts a secret place
where songbirds fly
Where its tears run dry,
a smile on Heaven’s face,
go you and I
Nature’s kindlier eye . personal
upon our every embrace
where songbirds fly
Where no one asks why
love takes pride of place,
go you and I
For every bigot’s lie,
G-A-Y laughing in its face
where songbirds fly,
you and I
Copyright R. N. Taber 2013
[Note: Written especially for the civil partnership between good friends of mine, 2013.]
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