A Poet's Blog: Roger N.Taber shares his thoughts & poems...

Thoughts and observations by English poet Roger N. Taber, a retired librarian and poet-novelist.- "Ethnicity, Religion, Gender, Sexuality ... these are but parts of a whole. It is the whole that counts." RNT [NB While I have no wish to create a social network, I will always reply to critical emails about my poetry. Contact: rogertab@aol.com].

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Location: London, United Kingdom

Sadly, a bad fall in 2012 has left me with a mobility problem, and being diagnosed with prostate cancer the same year hasn't helped, but I get out and about with my trusty walking stick as much as I can, take each day as it comes and try to keep looking on the bright(er) side of life. Many of my poems reflect the need to nurture a positive-thinking mindset whatever life throws at us.

Monday, 30 December 2013

Lines on the Human Condition


Love, like life, has its darker side. Some people have fixed ideas about love and will oppose anyone - including family members - who choose a different variation on the same eternal theme. 

The ability to turn love’s darkness into light is a gift passed on by lovers everywhere throughout history. Sadly, humankind’s other gift - for inhumanity - will all too often try to turn things around yet again…and succeed. It is down to each and every one of us to do our best not to let that happen.

We cannot stand by and let them invade our privacy, those who are blinded to the happiness of others by some misguided and/ or ill-informed interpretation of what is right and wrong.  

Every humanitarian needs to speak up against socio-cultural-religious traditions being used as an excuse for bigotry and sectarian division/violence where it is but the dark side of human nature that is to blame.

As for love…Gay or straight, two people in love have the basic human right to be in love. No one has the right to deny us that. World leaders who abuse their position to support anti-gay legislation (that means you, too, Mr. Putin) and religious leaders who choose to interpret their religion to much the same effect are a disgrace to humanity.

Whatever our ethnicity,  race, religion, gender or sexuality, we are all human beings and deserve to be treated as such.

LINES ON THE HUMAN CONDITION

Mind-Body-Spirit,
writing treaties in various tongues
on a mother’s heart
as it sighs over satirical goings-on
in comic strip cartoons

Mind-Body-Spirit,
providing a eulogy for the failures
of multiculturalism,
observing how occupied territories
live on empty gestures

Mind-Body-Spirit,
inciting revolution among dreamers
who would face facts,
repair broken words to make good
well-heeled intentions

Mind-Body-Spiri,
watching out for black holes blown
by wannabe martyrs,
sending love letters home on scraps
of roadside shrapnel

Mind-Body-Spirit,
last heard arguing for Human Rights
with a world’s tin gods
that so loves to blame their diversity

for its worst nightmares

Copyright R. N. Taber 2008


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