Easton Mountain (a gay spirit camp)

I.

The Fairies blew in from the east.
Aquarius and Rose Bud and Tiger Lilly.

Androgynous in appearance
and fluid in movement,
at peace with the flora
and fauna around them.

Passively challenging those
who did not understand
nor do not meld with the
spirit of the Earth.

II.

Bill and I blew in from the south.
Confident and comfortable in our
Gay masculinity.

Donning sarongs and multi-colored
volunteer hats, magic marked,
‘Emily Dickinson’ for me
and ‘Macklemore’, for Bill.

Assuming faux identities to
beg the question of music
and poetry.

Becoming outside ourselves
to view the scene via a poets eye.


III.

Those who questioned, came.
Those who sought, came.
Those who hurt, came.

The Wizard was waiting for us all
on this magic mountain.

The questions, answered.
The seekers, found.
The hurt, healed.

An ecstatic self-awareness
via community.

IV.

The spirit yields to the flesh
in the form of a New York State
Department of Health van.

H.I.V. testing for the community.

The lab technician,
who was about to draw my blood,
had one final question:
“Are you Male or Female?”

©TPuma/MMXIII