TANGENT
by Lisa A. Wright
The gay men cry for recognition
as they live
cornered in a world of straight edges.
Some manage to side step
the lines
by leaning against the front door openly.
Some stoop
behind the basement steps.
Some are beaten into smooth surfaces
and fall asleep lonely,
jaws set
straight each night.
Some march on
flaunting.
Many have died wanting
in the straight man's world.
And what is this we have surmised
from their pneumonias
and sunken eyes,
from their loss of appetite,
parched throats,
bloodied stools, and pain?
That they get what they deserve?
I see
their angled triumphs
of harmonic score,
clarity
of voice, precision in
performance,
and creative hand
vanishing from the upright world of
straight lines.
As we watch the spirit of the arts
exhale and leave
we will grieve the loss of the beauty of the
curves,
miss the reflection of the red,
orange, yellow, blue,
purple.
God gave
a blend
of curved gifts
to many of the gay
men
to build the rainbows
so that when we are left
in a world
of less design
we will recognize the loss
and blend
to
save
their lives.
Previously published in IMPETUS
available at Cat's Impetuous Books
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