https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Back in 2010, I posted the poem
below ton my gay-interest blog, G-A-Y in the Subject Field. I have been asked by reader H R, who has only
recently discovered that his eldest son is gay, to post it here today because “…it
puts being gay in the context to which it belongs, that of a common humanity. Needless
to say, the whole family love my son no less for his being gay, and I am proud
of him for having the guts to say so…”
Well, thank you for that, H R, and I am sure most f not all
readers will join me in wishing your son and the whole family love and peace.
It is interesting that H R thinks it takes guts to admit to being
gay. Sadly, yes, it often does take guts…but it shouldn’t. We are living in the
21st century, for goodness sake! Besides, our sexuality is our own
business, no one else’s, so who are others to judge? I shouldn’t have to write
a poetry blog especially for gay readers, but there are still a lot of straight
poetry lovers out there who would have no interest in reading a gay blog… for
poetry or whatever. The irony is that whenever I post a Gay Awareness poem on
this general blog, not only gets well read but I also receive few (if any)
emails to complain, in latter years at least; it was a very different story
when I began publishing the blogs 10 years ago.
Mind you, I have to say, too,
that there are a lot of gay readers out there who only read my gay blog because
“…it addresses gay people as ordinary people, not freaks of nature.” – as one
reader put it back in 2010.
It really shouldn’t matter
whether people are gay or straight. We are all part of a common humanity, after
all. Who is anyone, subscribing to whatever religion, native to whatever culture, friend, work colleague or next door neighbour to argue differently?
Well, aren’t we?
THE BALLAD OF NEIGHBOUR
JOE
I hate queers, neighbour Joe
once said to me, they’re
perverts,
don’t you agree?
Not really, I had to say,
especially
as I’m gay
He stared, glared, eyes wide
as saucers, lost for words
although
his expression said it all;
at last, he managed to get a
grip
and curled his lip
Queers deserve to be shot,
he snarled at me, and decent
folks
would agree;
I took you for decent, I have
to say
but you’re…gay?
I nodded, said
conversationally,
so you’ll be getting a gun to
shoot me?
He shook his head.
You’re a nice enough person, he
said,
I don’t wish you dead
Tell me, he wanted to know,
what it’s all about, this being
gay?
Sounds sick to me…
I was taught to loath and
despise
(he whispered) ‘sodomy’
You have a bad attitude,
I felt inclined to tell him
straight,
I’m a top man, me…
but it’s my job pays the
mortgage,
not my sexuality
Why should what my partner
and I choose to get up to in
bed
matter to you so?
He shook his head, rubbed his
jaw,
finally admitted…
I’ll be damned if I know.
You’re right, said neighbour
Joe,
it’s none of my business;
blame it on that old song and
dance
called ignorance
We shook hands, went on our
way,
good neighbours to this day
[From: On The
Battlefields Of Love by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]
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