It was years ago when I met my companion;

I had a friend who asked a question.

He asked a simple question, a question to try and shake my gayness;

A simple question he thought would shame us.

See although we’d been friends for many years,

My openness always seemed to offend.

I had not poked or ever prodded;

Had simply accepted what he disregarded.

Until that day he asked a simple question;

His jostled attempt upon my sureness;

A simple question that would forever estrange us.

In that email I did read his jostled attempt upon my sureness,

That simple question he thought should shame us,

What he thought would shake my gayness;

A simple question to forever estrange us.

And these four words are what were read: “Does he sanctify you?”

I took only moments to reply;

As there was no shame in our gayness, of that I’m sure.

With Webster in hand to open my response;

My words did flow as sure as my gayness.

So in my reply these words he’d read:

“To sanctify is to set apart for sacred use;

To consecrate; to make holy; to purify; to give sanction;

To make productive of holiness or spiritual blessing.”

“Of this gayness I am sure,

For this love is sacred and secure.

What else could be more holy and pure;

Than the love of two, blessed by the Spirit Divine?

Your attempt to divide;

Only deepened these vows;

That have sprung from our core;

To cherish this product of Divine.”

Then in kind I asked a question;

A question I knew would further estrange us.

His simple words, I rejoined twice fold:

“Have you found the one who sanctifies you?”

Emmanuel Lockyear, Oct, 1 2011