Anmol at dVerse has invited us to write a poem about Pride – LGBQTI. dVerse Poets
“I feel like my body is in a waiting room.” Aimee Herman
The Sheer Exhaustion The sheer exhaustion of externalities enshrined in binary kitsch, a black and white vaudeville, pastiche of indoctrination, a schema for knowing precisely where to park your genitals and how to deport them, cover them, name them as if they were you, betraying the fluid heart and a free mind, erasing true self, denying the verb to be in favour of determination and benchmarked judgements of approval. ©Paul Vincent Cannon
parallax 
Yes
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Thank you Ana, something so important.
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Yes. 😌
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🙂
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Had to smile at some of your description – so clever.
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Glad to raise a smile, even a wry one, thank you VJ 🙂
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Lol. Welcome.
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“fluid heart / and a free mind” – Yes.
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That undefended self free to be, thank you Ken.
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Such an evocative poem! I should like to be part of the discussion group!!!
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Thank you Beverly, wonderful to have like-mindedness.
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The “binary kitsch” can be so frustrating. I love your diction and phrasing in this one. We perhaps reach a stage where those judgements and approvals are just not worth it. Well penned! 🙂
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Thank you for the feedback Anmol, glad it came together – loved the challenge to write about this.
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Wow, very well written, of course no surprise
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Very kind Cheryl, I must say this was sitting inside me waiting.
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Well let it out here, we’re all listening
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I will and thank you for the encouragement
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Oh yes… none of us is solely defined by our genitals … if we can just acknowledge that we have it all inside of us… to be defined is not healthy for anyone (even if it leads to privileges)
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Yes, especially if it leads to privileges. Enjoyed the synergy of thought you brought to this, many thanks Bjorn.
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Your poem meets the pride challenge very effectively.
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That is helpful for me, thank you Liz.
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You’re welcome, Paul.
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Not sure i totally understand what you’re saying. Are you saying that one’s mental image of oneself is more important than physical reality…or the potential threat to others? How is this loving your neighbor as much as yourself?
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Great question Jonathan. Yes, it is being less concerned with externalities and being more your true self, which is about integrity, which enables you to live fully and honestly, a great way to be among friends as an authentic person, so in that sense – loving your neighbour by being real (as opposed to being fake or false).
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Okay….I couldn’t tell…it seemed like at least a couple statements were contradictory—probably a phrasing I wasn’t familiar with!
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🙂
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Ever since I looked at Kinsey’s continuum and realized that the 100%-ers one way or another were anomalies, an overwhelming sense of relief flooded over me. I wish Kinsey could see his truth out there in living color today.
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Yes, I remember reading that, and yes, eye-opening. I just hope our institutions can see it too.
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So true–and clever language, “where to park your genitals. . .” and “denying the verb to be.” Certainly we are more than our genitals, and it is exhausting to have to pretend to be what we are not.
I loved Babylon Berlin! I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a long time.
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Yes, great series, and more to come, a final season. It sure made me think. Thank you Merril.
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You’re welcome. I will look forward to a final season.
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🙂
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This is absolutely raw, honest, beautiful and brilliantly executed! 💝
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A great one, andso important, Paul! But i fear we are once again back to the past. ;-(Michael
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It would seem so, sad indeed Michael.
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How interesting that on your first breath in this world, the first judgement made about who you are is based on as assessment of external genitalia, oh those schema, not always right, there’s the rub. Thank you for this Paul.
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Thanks Lona, yes indeed, the perverse nature of weak humanity that must have a binary, arrgh!
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arrgh indeed 😉
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Well said
>
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Much appreciated.
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