Embrace

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

No longer a young man (in my 70's now)  but still a shameless romantic, I was thrilled to discover a  Doris Day album called My Heart available on cd with songs from 1985/1986 that I had not heard before. Doris was in her 60's then (turned 80 now) her voice as magical as ever.

Ah, but it's GOOD to know  this clinical, sceptical Age of Technology has not killed off love and romance, and hopefully never will....

Now, readers sometimes get in touch to ask why I don’t publish my poems on a gay theme separately rather than include them in broader collections. ‘Mark’ complains that I am ‘letting down the gay minority by pandering to the straight majority.’

Oh, and how...?

As a gay man, I hope gay readers will enjoy many of my poems, and not just the gay-interest ones. I also hope that many straight readers will enjoy some of my  gay-interest poems as well as those on other themes. We are, after all, a common humanity, so why publish a volume of gay-interest poems that will only be read by gay people? There is, surely, a greater need to educate the gay-unfriendly among us then preach to the converted?

As for the poem below, it is a poem about the spiritual as well as physical nature of love for which neither the gay minority nor heterosexual majority worldwide can claim to have a monopoly while those that condemn gay relationships plainly know little or nothing about love anyway. I am posting it here simply because feedback suggests many gay readers (all ages) who visit this blog (still) adore our Doris. Hopefully, though, it will be likewise enjoyed by the mixed gay/straight readership following my Google+ site.

EMBRACE

Your body engages with mine
in a purposeful embrace destined
to last a lifetime

Your tongue paints over graffiti
daubed on my flesh by other lovers
for the hell of it

Your lips promise nothing less
than a fine re-working of passion’s
greater artistry

Your hands re-work my body,
exploring its potential, overlooked
by amateurish brush strokes

Your desires make new inroads
where previously only sex has left
muddy prints

Your love re-writes the bible
of sex passed down to me by lesser
mortals

My body engages with yours
in a spiritual embrace destined
to last a lifetime

Copyright R. N. Taber 2010

[Note: First published under the title 'Engaging with Love' in On the Battlefields of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books 2010; rev. version in e-format in preparation.[

O-U-T

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

There is a closet some people choose or are forced to live in. The longer we stay in that cold, dark place, the stranger it can feel at first when we find the courage (and growing self-confidence) to come out into the open.  Any sense of self-consciousness, though,  is quickly overtaken by a quiet pride, growing self-confidence and inner euphoria.

Regular readers will know I believe very strongly that the decision to be openly gay is a matter of personal choice. Sadly, some gay people live under repressive regimes and don’t have that choice. Others chose not to rock the family boat for various socio-cultural-religious reasons. However, make no mistake, coming out sets an example from which other closet gay boys and girls, men and women, can take heart, and hopefully find the inner strength to follow.

I had spent many years as a tormented youth and young man in the closet during the 1960s and early-mid 1970s before I finally emerged into daylight never to return.  It took a severe nervous breakdown to make me see I needed to be honest with myself and others if I were to get a life really worth having. A gay friend to whom I looked up, and whose self-confidence I envied, reassured me there is no stigma attached to being gay, whatever anyone from any country or culture may insist; nor is it unnatural, but the way we are born. Those who try to impose stigma upon us are twisted bigots, nothing more or less, and we should be glad we are better than that. The least we can do, my friend said, is attempt to educate the ignorant and less enlightened among the heterosexual majority about gay issues; as much for the sake of future generations of gay people, their families and friends as for ourselves.

My friend’s words are an inspiration to me even now, years on.

You can laugh, but I was further inspired by that lovely song Secret Love first sung by the legendary Doris Day in the musical Calamity Jane, and no better version since; it is a love song, and no way a gay love song in the context of the film, yet it gave me food for thought and helped me realise that, gay or straight, love could not care less. I have adored Doris Day ever since. 

It is a savage indictment on the 21^st century that there is still of LOT of educating to do about what it means to be gay. Only the other day, I saw some young people taunting two men holding hands as they walked down a London street with homophobic abuse. Yes, London UK, that place where many gay people claim ‘gays have never had it so good.’ That may well be true, but it plainly is not good enough.

O-U-T

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

I felt as though everyone could see

right through me

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

I felt a growing affinity with my pc

everyone tapping into me

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

I sensed everyone taking a good look

over this newspaper, that book

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

I started haunting gay clubs and bars

like an alien from Mars

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

I’d imagine every guy on every street

on his back and up for it

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

I used to wonder if it would ever be

comfortable with my sexuality

Once I’d told the world I’m gay,

it all but cajoled me to give sex a miss

till I shared my first gay kiss

Copyright R. N. Taber 1989; 2010

It's Magic

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

Not so long ago I was waxing lyrical about Doris Day. A reader who has some kind words to say about my villanelles has asked if I would write one about Doris. I have done my best although no poem can do justice to this amazing woman. I’d like to dedicate the poem to her.  Some people hate villanelles, of course, but I have a passion for them. I love the discipline they impose on the poet. So perhaps this poetic form is not inappropriate given that acting and singing, too, require discipline.

Gay or straight, don't we all have our favourite icons, inspiring/reassuring/comforting us for one reason or another? Oh, and why not ...? We all need that feel-good factor for which we ordinary mortals rarely if ever get the chance to thank those from all walks of performance art who work hard at providing it.

Oh, and Doris was born on this day, April 4th 1922 ...which makes here ...who cares? Thank you Doris for making so many people (like me) feel happy just as we stand on the brink of feeling, well  ... otherwise.

Photo: Doris Day (taken from Wikipedia)

IT’S MAGIC

Oh, how I love Doris Day,

singer, actress, gem;
she takes my breath away

Voice now bright and gay,
now like a lovely hymn;
oh, how I love Doris Day

Sparkling, come what may,
as a clear mountain stream;
she takes my breath away

No matter where I may lay
me down, she’s my dream;
oh, how I love Doris Day

She’s all the best critics say,
sheer magic for all time;
she takes my breath away

Though blond hair turn grey,
the spirit shall never dim;
oh, how I love Doris Day,
she takes my breath away

Copyright R. N. Taber 2010