Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Aren't we all just people?

This is something that I have wanted to share for awhile, and I didn't know when would be the best time, considering we have mentioned the subject I am about to comment on repeatedly throughout our class discussions. Although it has not been a main point, it has been a reoccurring reference, and one that I find carries heavy meaning.

During our talks about women's roles and the way women are confined to these roles, we have more than once mentioned the phrase "boxed in," whether in literal reference to checking boxes M or F on application forms or in figurative (although real) terms of not having the ability to transcend the roles that have defined femininity/ masculinity, and to a greater extent sexuality in our culture. The vocalization of this phrase always makes my ears perk up, because I have written about this very thing before, and as my avatar name presupposes, I do write poetry, and my poetry often times has a sociopolitical voice to it. So, I'm sure you can already guess that I'm going to share another one of my poems with you. It speaks a lot about Queer Theory, and the dismissing of labels (which in and of itself could be another blog post) anyway here it is:

Boxed In:

Boxed in- M or F?
What the fuck am I?
These stupid applications
always asking questions,
Well, here's my genderless reply-

I am me, no box required.
You can call me it.
That's what happens anyway,
you think I give a shit?

What's it to you anyway,
if I'm a man or not?
I'm human, not a box
you need to see my twat-
 Twat, What was that?

Another constraint, a restriction
to my identity. M or F,
defined by a box?
I'm more than that,
I'm more than just a cock
so suck on that!

I'll write outside the box
because I have no problem
with who I am.
What's it to you anyway
if I'm a woman or a man?

Do you need to see what's
between my legs to help you understand?
What if I left my dick at home?
Does that make me less of who I am?

I'm a human, not M or F
just I.
I'm a human, and that is my reply.

2 comments:

  1. First off: I LOVE THIS POEM! I think it is such a great description of an issue that I notice more and more in our society. Why DO I have to define my gender? Why is that so important? I think that most people would respond that they need to know your gender in order to know how to treat you, but that's not really a good argument--why can't we treat everyone the same? Maybe I do not feel like defining my gender, my sexuality, my life! Maybe I want to be free to be who I am, and I should be treated like a person no matter what! People are people, and yes there are going to be some that you don't like, but they are STILL people--regardless of gender. Everyone deserves the same respect and equal treatment.

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  2. This poem is perfect! I love it! It really captures what we've discussed some and shows that being man or woman shouldn't matter. I agree with it completely. It shouldn't matter what I am. Whether the application be for a job or schooling, I should have just as equal an opportunity as anyone else. If equality is so important, why should it matter what anyones sex/gender is? Everyone is human, therefore, no one should be treated differently.

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