http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
A reader once emailed me to say he or she found it “disturbing if not offensive” that my poetry collections include poems on a gay theme.
What can I say? Our sexuality is only a part - albeit an integral one - of who we are. There is more to us all, gay or straight, than our sexulity. Do we ignore the rest? Of course not, yet I have noticed that once a straight person knows I am gay, many are inclined to look no further.
We should take poems - like people - as we find them, surely? By all means, be critical…but not judgemental. We might even try to learn if not always take pleasure from them. Besides general and gay-interest poetry simply reflect different (but not separate) voices of the same genre; similarly, whatever our ethnicity, creed, sex or sexuality, we comprise the same human race.
Well, don't we...?
WHAT-A-MESS
I’m gay, okay? That’s me,
so take it or leave it, love me,
make time for a chat (world
to rights, tit-for-tat) or let me be;
all in the same boat, none of us
the better, worse, wiser, less able
than anyone else to explain
where common sense has gone
in respecting other points of view
since acknowledged human
I mean to say, society's a mess
without gay folks driving home
the point, must be something
in who shouts the louder gets heard
the sooner (if not listened to)
no one else finding an ear, unless
they so happen to be fighting
some politically sensitive corner,
given that all's fair in love and war
notwithstanding glaring errors
Better we do our own thing
and go our own ways, no matter
our 'betters' enjoy the benefit
of their field days, closing ranks
for doing their well-meaning
best or worst by whatever colour,
creed, sexuality or our station
in life who would but stay true
to ourselves and each other if only
to keep body and soul together
Whatever anyone else may say
or do, 1+ 1 one will always make
the two of us, though a precious
humanity get it wrong, preferring
to do certain sums differently,
inclined to forget just how much
diversity contributes to Society
except when needs must tap into
its voting power, take us all for fools
for believing it's got its sums right
Copyright R. N.Taber 2004; 2018
[Note: An earlier version of this poem was published under the title 'One to One' in The Third Eye by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2004]
A reader once emailed me to say he or she found it “disturbing if not offensive” that my poetry collections include poems on a gay theme.
What can I say? Our sexuality is only a part - albeit an integral one - of who we are. There is more to us all, gay or straight, than our sexulity. Do we ignore the rest? Of course not, yet I have noticed that once a straight person knows I am gay, many are inclined to look no further.
We should take poems - like people - as we find them, surely? By all means, be critical…but not judgemental. We might even try to learn if not always take pleasure from them. Besides general and gay-interest poetry simply reflect different (but not separate) voices of the same genre; similarly, whatever our ethnicity, creed, sex or sexuality, we comprise the same human race.
Well, don't we...?
WHAT-A-MESS
I’m gay, okay? That’s me,
so take it or leave it, love me,
make time for a chat (world
to rights, tit-for-tat) or let me be;
all in the same boat, none of us
the better, worse, wiser, less able
than anyone else to explain
where common sense has gone
in respecting other points of view
since acknowledged human
I mean to say, society's a mess
without gay folks driving home
the point, must be something
in who shouts the louder gets heard
the sooner (if not listened to)
no one else finding an ear, unless
they so happen to be fighting
some politically sensitive corner,
given that all's fair in love and war
notwithstanding glaring errors
Better we do our own thing
and go our own ways, no matter
our 'betters' enjoy the benefit
of their field days, closing ranks
for doing their well-meaning
best or worst by whatever colour,
creed, sexuality or our station
in life who would but stay true
to ourselves and each other if only
to keep body and soul together
Whatever anyone else may say
or do, 1+ 1 one will always make
the two of us, though a precious
humanity get it wrong, preferring
to do certain sums differently,
inclined to forget just how much
diversity contributes to Society
except when needs must tap into
its voting power, take us all for fools
for believing it's got its sums right
Copyright R. N.Taber 2004; 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment