A Walk on the Dark Side

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

“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.” - Plato

“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.” - Dalai Lama

“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.” - Francis of Assisi “Prejudice is the child of ignorance.” - William Hazlitt 

“Violence isn't always evil. What's evil is the infatuation with violence.” - Jim Morrison

“My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy, that some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.”- Maya Angelou

Now, few things encourage anger among populations worldwide than instability and where there is instability, there is invariably a rising discontent which, in turn, encourages anger, even violence. The world is anything but stable at the moment, especially with the war in Ukraine resulting in an economic crisis just about everywhere.

Here in the UK, Rishi Sunak has been voted our new prime minister – our third this year! – by Tory MP’s, while other parties and much of the population had been calling for a General Election. While I, personally, think Sunak is a good choice, the fact remains that he does not have a mandate; the political argument put forward by the Conservative Party that it does have mandate, having been voted into power at the last General Election, neither impresses nor convinces most people. After all, the world is a very different place than it was in May, 2019!

We have seen a significant rise of violence on the streets as well as domestic violence since Covid-19 arrived. Given the further threat of a possible flu/ Covid pandemic this winter, as well as a world financial crisis, it is hardly surprising that cases of reported violence appear to be rising. As for unreported cases... who knows?

A WALK ON THE DARK SIDE

I listen, but do not always hear,
look, but do not always see what is there,
only what I expect to find
in the deeper, darker recesses of a mind
fed half-truths and fake news,
manipulated by destructive life forces
supposedly meaning well,
while making use of such stereotypical images
as would rewrite history’s pages

Born innocent, only to be exposed
to a cowardly rhetoric of prejudice and hate
insinuating mind-body-spirit
with misinformation, fake news and such views
as expounded to win over
the less perceptive, least enlightened
among humanity, nurturing
prejudice and violence to home in on a humanity,
with a predilection for profanity 

I turn common sense on its head, sanity
made to give way to such false interpretations
of self-education, perpetuated
by the absence of love, kindness, caring
for one another, all virtue
portrayed as weakness to the vulnerable,
by any who walk on the Dark Side,
waging war with and for every human heart-and-soul,
manipulators and manipulatable

I am Ignorance, listening out for a wiser, kinder voice;
peace or violence, an all but interchangeable choice

Copyright R. N. Taber, 2022

[Note: this post-poem appears on both poetry blogs today, as I feel it is relevant and feedback suggests that many LGBT readers remain cautious of only having access to shared computers.] RT 

Human Spirit, the Making of Us (All)

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

There will always be some who refuse to get their heads around the fact that there are millions of us gay people amongst all humankind making as equally valuable a contribution to its humanity as our heterosexual neighbours. The trouble is, humankind comprises multiple closed shops marketing multiple closed hearts under various socio-cultural-religious and political umbrellas. Fortunately, the human spirit is an open house and will yet see the  greater part of humanity prove itself the better for that.

Spirituality emanates from a person's mind-body-spirit; no religion has a monopoly on it. To me, it seems absurd to suggest that a non-religious person cannot, by default, experience a sense of spirituality; bonding with nature is no less of a spiritual experience than embracing God as defined by whatever dogma. Yes, people will argue for one concept or another, but is it not agreeing to differ that makes us human?

HUMAN SPIRIT, THE MAKING OF US (ALL)

When folks ask why I’m gay,
I tell them I was born this way

Some will say it can’t be true,
any God has better things to do
than create distorted images
to blot humankind’s copybook,
rewrite history’s pages,
make religions take a long look
at themselves, leave cultures
to those power-hungry vultures
that love to preach and lead,
assuming their authority as read

Some suggest my sexuality
is irreconcilable with spirituality;
they, so blessedly taken in
by interpretations of Holy Books,
a case for eternity that brooks
no argument among those afraid
of condoning, let alone trying
to understand bigotry they’re sold
by those we’re told know better
how best we live with one another

People accuse me of blasphemy
(at best, a penchant for immorality)
thus putting me on the defensive
for what has to be a clear distortion
of what Holy Books have in mind
for each person (Oh, so what am I?);
Ah, but taking issue asks we see
how and why there is a place for each
and every one of us, regardless
of our colour, creed, sex or sexuality

Those folks who ask why I am as I am
might well ask the same of themselves

Copyright R. N. Taber 2012; 2020

[Note: An earlier version of this poem under the title ‘Found Wanting' appears in Tracking the Torchbearer by R. N. Taber, Assembly Book, 2012]

Getting on with Love

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

More than once I have heard those among the less enlightened heterosexual majority sneer that gay people don’t know the meaning of love. Such stupid, ignorant comments do not merit a response except, perhaps, in a poem…

Readers may be interested to know that this villanelle was inspired by a fascinating and very uplifting conversation with two gay ex-servicemen in their 50's at London bar one evening.

Photo taken from the Internet

GETTING ON WITH LOVE

Getting on with life, two gay men

(in a world living with Terror)

targeted for abuse, time and again

Nothing to lose, everything to gain

(in world that’s a weeping sore);

getting on with love, two gay men

Getting on with life, two gay men

(for knocking at freedom's door)

targeted for abuse, time and again

World, in the grip of blind religion

(floods of fear, a living nightmare);

getting on with love, two gay men

Played a part rescuing Afghanistan

from the Taliban’s hold on power,

targeted for abuse, time and again

Pray, we see its peacemakers win

on a planet left turning on Terror;

getting on with love, two gay men,

targeted for abuse, time and again

Copyright R. N. Taber 2009; 2016

Out In the Country

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

When I was 14 years-old, my family relocated from my home town to a new housing estate in the countryside. Much as I love visiting the countryside, I hated living there and was glad to leave within a year or so of leaving school. I hated everyone else feeling they had a right to know everyone else’s business. It was hard to keep any secrets.

So you can imagine what it was like for a gay lad, having to keep his sexuality a secret not only from family and friends, but also from the whole estate and original (delightful) village of which it was an eyesore of an extension! Gay relationships were illegal in the UK until 1967, the year I was 22.]

So I have been pleased to hear from gay people who come out in the country and been accepted by local people although I have to say that, on the whole, I hear the opposite. The majority of gay men and women living in rural areas, in the UK as well as worldwide, still feel they must keep their sexuality a secret. I dare say they suffer much the same torment as I did all those years ago.

When, oh, when will everyone realise that sexuality is only a part of who we are, and a very private part; it is no one else’s damn business? We are human beings like everyone else who have as much to offer our local communities as anyone, and don't deserve to be stigmatised simply because too few among the heterosexual majority understand what it means to be gay or some (if not most) religious groups are intrinsically homophobic. I should not have to be saying this in the 21^st century, for goodness sake. It should be taken for granted.  Oh, but I wish...

Why, oh, why do so many people worldwide continue to believe the many outdated, misleading and generally offensive stereotypes that continue to attach themselves to gay and transgender men and women? 

Yes, we have pro-gay legislation in some part of the world, but anti-gay legislation in others. Besides, as I have often said on the blogs, you cannot legislate for bad attitude.  Where schools and colleges refuse to go out of their way to educate these people, I guess all we can do is try and lead by example and hope for the best.  True, it's not enough. It's nowhere near enough. But what else can we do? 

OUT IN THE COUNTRY

He asked me to dance

on the village green;

I jumped at the chance

Though neighbours askance

(some thought it obscene)

he asked me to dance

Forget all that token stuff

about poufs on-screen?

I jumped at the chance

Band playing by chance

our favourite tune,

he asked me to dance

Measuring every advance,

treasuring each joining-in;

I jumped at the chance

A subtle rush to ring-fence

(unsuitable for children?);

He asked me to dance,

I jumped at the chance

Copyright R N Taber 2005

[From: A Feeling for the Quickness of Time by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2005]