Footnote to a Treatise on Volcanoes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

I have to confess I am no computer gamer, but was disturbed to say the least when it was brought to my attention that Electronic Arts (EA), maker of the highly popular Star Wars: The Old Republic video game, is the target of a boycott orchestrated by hateful anti-gay groups.

It appears they gave players around the world the option of including a gay romance storyline in their interactive Star Wars game. [Now, would that be Luke and Yoda? Surely not...?] Seriously, though, anti-gay letters are apparently flooding Electronic Arts headquarters, threatening to push the company and its staff to the dark side.

So much for those readers who contact me saying I am living in the Dark Ages and ‘Gays have never had it so good.’ How good life is for us still depends very much on where we live and whether or not that is a gay-friendly environment.

Meanwhile...

Today’s poem last appeared on the blog in 2010. It has been requested by ‘Stefano’ for his partner ‘Cesare’ who has a birthday today.

Here’s wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Cesare.

Oh, but the eruption when pent up desires will stay quiet no longer...!

FOOTNOTE TO A TREATISE ON VOLCANOES

The first time I lay with another man,

it was with someone whom I had adored

for years but thought had ignored

my searching glances, double meanings,

sad eyes brimming with unshed tears;

instead, he chose to wait until I spoke out

as my heart intended once my tongue

found the words to say what I’d been told

I shouldn’t, mustn’t, because people

would think the worst if I told the world

I’m gay

He understood and shared my fears

yet kissed my eyelids, moistened by tears,

murmured reassurance as well as love

in my ears, gently wiping away all the fear

those who had thought to know better,

(following a dark history to the letter) had

glued to my lips, now freed by a tongue

that had found the words to say though told

he shouldn’t, mustn’t, because people

would think the worst if he told the world

he’s gay

He taught me the art of lovemaking

as learned at Nature’s breast and practised

in lesser known playing fields of time,

discovering the skills to which we were born,

how to let self-knowledge inspire us

instead to giving way to temporal prejudices,

imbibe the spirituality of life and love

in words we, oh, so long to say though told

we shouldn’t mustn’t, because people

would think the worst if we told the world

we’re gay

At a climax of mutual desire, I stood

on the edge of a volcano, in awe of its fire

yet relating to it also, its eruption

thrusting me through time and space where

I could look down and see…

Nature protesting at the antics of humanity

writing its own epitaph, gluing it to lips

that long to have a greater say in things though

told they shouldn’t, mustn’t, that people

would think the worst, get scared, try to run

away

[From: On The Battlefields Of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]