WHAT I WROTE ON THE FRONT AND BACK OF AN ENVELOPE TELLING ME I HAD BEEN APPROVED FOR A NEW VISA CARD


I had been told about them
With a capital THEM—
With a hem and a polite haw
Or a guffaw and the toss of an apple
From Eden
“Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steven!”
And since I was taught (let’s not get caught up in liberal holier
Than thous) now’s the time to admit it’s how I believed

Stereotypes with antennas and knobs—winks and rude nods
--twinks—
and other names

Until THEY came

Until them is a you and a you and a you
And a you is a friend in my life
Flesh, blood and bone
To atone for caricatures made by hatchers of names

knowing is different
and seeing is seeing—being awake is being unable to take being
a maker of false insults

I heard you louder than a brook,
Queerer than…
Flying to your points direct
Straighter than any arrow
Or any other fellow no matter what they call you
And
With twice the courage of any man I’d ever known
Fire burned from your bones and if that’s what they mean when they say flame—well then, embrace
That name
Brothers,
Brothers in your grace you do move light on your feet
So light on your feet when I saw you like fairies you almost flew
And then I knew