Black queer body

It's sensible as a poor black queer body to accept that I'm alone.
That no religion, no politics, no amount of education will protect me.
That there are systems put in place that are crafted to put me in my place
I am vulnerable! I am a minority! I am no one!

I am no one for long have I deceived myself thinking myself to be human
I have professed love, love for all that is humanity and I preached fervently sermons on unity
Declaring that trivialities like race, gender, sexuality, ability, education & class do not matter
I was oblivious of systems like ableism, heteronormativity, patriarchy, white supremacy,
Colonialism and imperialism, and capitalism
Until I was reminded that I am a poor black queer body

I am a poor black queer body
I cannot confirm, I cannot change, I cannot because it’s my nature
I am Black, who am I to ask how that happened?
Who am I to ask what that means?
I am Queer, who am I not to explain my bed room politics?
Who am I not to have tried heterosexuality?

I am nothing but a pestilence, a disease, a plague
That needs to be washed away from the face of the Earth,
Lest I bring to extinction the human race
Perhaps those “gracious”, “loving and kind” gods would do me the honour
And send Noah’s floods to kill me and be done with it
I have heard how out of the heavens, fire rained
If I’m not a sodomite, my ancestor was Cush the cursed,
Bearing witness to his damnation I produce excess melanin

Today I am not an African, or even a South African,
I have been given a label that alienates me from Africa
I cannot claim my family name, nor dare boast of my lineage,
I must however bare the demeaning labels,
Endure being called a faggot, a moffie, isitabane,
Ungqingili, inkonkoni, italase, sitjuzana, usis-bhuti

I threaten normativity by my mere existence
Nature barrens the fruit of my love, I have heard
“Is not love tested and proved by its ability to produce offspring?”
The question haunts my expression of love

My black presence threatens safety, it allegedly wreaks thievery,
It triggers fear and inflicts insecurity
How dare I walk in suburbia wearing my blackness?
Dogs will bark “An intruder! An intruder!”
How dare I march for my rights as a citizen?
The civilians will shout “A hooligan. A hooligan”
If not, the police will beat me and arrest me
How dare I protest to receive my right under the law,
The police guns will shoot “A thug. A thug”

My skin colour has been criminalised; My sexuality has been made a sin
So again I try to convince myself of the truth
And make peace with reality
That it is sensible as a black queer body to accept that I'm alone.
I have no home; no one to run to and no one to talk to.