Recommendation: Two-Spirit Poetry
Cecelia LaPointe recommends…
Poetry
There are a few poems on my website that I thought I would share.
I identify as Gender Non-conforming, Genderqueer, Androgynous and Two-Spirit (Niizh Manidoowag — in Anishinaabemowin). I love genderfork!
The Androgynous Man In Brown Pants
I’m sittin’ at the end of this dock,
I’ve walked this way to find my beginning,
The boards of this dock creaking,
As I am the man,
The androgynous man,
With a cigarette hangin’ outta my mouth,
Today I am wearing brown pants,
Black t-shirt,
Flannel shirt in the truck,
Tomorrow I wear jeans,
These people keep passin’ through here,
Keep on passin’ through,
Going somewhere better they say,
Gotta get out of this place,
To some hippie idea of community,
This ain’t going work for me – the working man,
I wave my hand at em’ in disappointment,
Ain’t got time for thinking why these people don’t care,
This hippie idea forgets about the struggle of people like myself,
Residing in towns like Manistee,
Some “progressive” who turns their nose up at this place,
“Oh your from Manistee” in a derogatory tone,
Blinds closed,
Poverty,
Addictions,
Too much of an eyesore,
That town stinks from the pollution,
Keep on going I say,
Wave em’ away,
I am the androgynous man in brown pants,
Reminiscing about the days of family get-togethers,
Hot summer days,
Playing “redneck” horseshoes as some yuppie would say,
But they are just horseshoes to me,
I own this and I ain’t got no shame,
Eating watergate salad,
Thinking about the power lines towering over us in this Hazel Park backyard,
Just a few blocks north of 8 Mile Road,
From the D to the Stee to KBIC,
Don’t belittle,
Don’t be mean,
Bright minds,
Bright hearts,
Get tossed aside near the railroad tracks,
We pick up the pieces,
Mend our families,
Mend our souls,
Ya see I am the androgynous man in brown pants,
Driving the rusted old Chevette,
To a rusted old Ford,
There is always something better,
I try to make all of this work,
A heavy heart like a ball of iron,
Heavy heart from the generations,
Heavy from this identity,
Existing in this body,
Existing in this skin,
Gender deviation,
Equals community alienation,
And I ponder all of this,
As the androgynous man in brown pants,
In a woman’s body,
Here at the lake,
Watching her ways.
Category: poetry, recommendations, short story 4 comments »
May 23rd, 2014 at 5:06 am |
This is so great. This addresses so much, eloquently but without being pretentious.
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June 10th, 2014 at 12:56 am |
Glad to hear I’m not the only two spirit person in the hole world!!! Sometimes bein stuck in redneck whiteman town I forget
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June 10th, 2014 at 9:41 am |
for anyone interested in reading more writing by amazing two-spirit authors, I cannot recommend highly enough
SOVEREIGN EROTICS: A COLLECTION OF TWO-SPIRIT LITERATURE. this book changed my life. http://www.amazon.com/Sovereign-Erotics-Collection-Two-Spirit-Literature/dp/0816502420/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402422017&sr=8-1&keywords=sovereign+erotics
I really hope people interested in two-spirit experiences, lives, poetry, and perspectives will check it out! it’s fucking amazing.
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July 9th, 2014 at 6:19 pm |
Thank you/chi miigwech for all of your responses! Oh yes Sovereign Erotics is an excellent book!
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