Everyone, thank goodness, is different or the world would be a very boring place, but as I have said since I began writing up the blogs ten years ago, our differences do not make us different, only human.
When I first came out to the world as a gay man, many people told me I was exchanging one lonely world for another, would end up a lonely, bitter person living alone with no family to help me through the ups and downs of old age. Well, yes, I do live alone, but I am not bitter in spite of continuing hate crimes against LGBT people worldwide; all the more shame on the world for that. Many religious groups, have much to answer for by suggesting that love is selective by nature in so far as we LGBT folks deserve to be excluded.
I do not have any family members to support me, either, having never had much in common with most of those remaining while others - intentionally or unintentionally - have always given the impression they are of a homophobic bent.
No, blood is not always thicker than water, while nothing can be stronger than two people bonding with love and companionship, whether as lovers or close friends; we should never underestimate the power of platonic love nor friendship in the true sense of the word. As I have said many times, love takes many shapes and forms; people, animals, pastimes, hobbies, favourite places (dare I say even poetry?) all have their part to play in getting the better of any bitterness threatening to set in because the mind is (too often) inclined to dwell on regrets for things left undone in this life than taking any pleasure from all we have done.
As a gay man, I may be but a small cog in a big wheel, yet coming out of that wretched closet years ago and taking my place in helping the wheel turn my way has been worth every heartbeat; much as I regret the inability of some people to respect my sexuality, well, c'est la vie, and bitterness never got anyone anywhere worth going to in the first place.
I am not well these days; while my spirit remains as feisty as ever, mind and body are slowly but surely succumbing to the stresses of old age. I will be 74 in December and, no, that is not old BUT hormone therapy for my prostate cancer since 2011 is taking its toll and I struggle sometimes to keep mind, body and spirit in sync with each other.One day, the cancer will catch up with me, and I decided long ago that I would not tolerate a mind-body-spirit in free fall; rather, I will take a one-way trip to Dignitas in Switzerland. Some readers may be horrified while others will know how much I value quality of life above life itself; my only regret would be leaving friends behind (readers too) and I can but ask them to remember that - for me, at least - it would be a fairy tale ending in so far as I would be embracing death as I have embraced life... for better, for worse, while enough is enough.
Meanwhile, so long as the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to leave any poems left in me, you, dear readers (of both poetry blogs) will be the first to know.
HAPPY-EVER-AFTER. A POSITIVE THINKING MINDSET
HAPPY-EVER-AFTER. A POSITIVE THINKING MINDSET
Once upon a time,
home was a lonely closet,
Freedom banging
on the door to be let out,
yet Fear
always getting the better
of a mind-body spirit
keeping faith with humanity's
common capacity
for peace, love, and kindness
above all else
I sought it here, there,
everywhere, a life force
to close divisions
if not heal them, by agreeing
to differ instead
of choosing to throw stones
at glass houses
while expounding a belief
in extending peace
and goodwill (if not love)
wherever
Once upon a time,
I took the proverbial bull
by its horns,
and fled my lonely closet,
still scared
of a world as likely to shun
as embrace me,
but resolved to take a chance
on human nature
being far better and bigger
than bigotry
World (still) running low
on happy-ever-after endings
for LGBT voices
crying "Enough is enough!"
in a world (still)
preferring to play deaf
whenever it suits
to any God-given reassurance
that (all) humanity
deserves Happy-ever-After
endings
Whatever, I am as I am,
and all that I am is as free to be
what I am as any other
in a world feeding its children
Happy-ever-afters,
that can, indeed, suffer
its harsher realities
for touching base now and then
with such life-forces
as have love's best interests
at heart
Copyright R. N. Taber 2019
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