 |
   
|
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Poetry: H-I-MeBy Brandon Lacy Campos October 19, 2010 This article originally appeared in Brandon's blog My Feet Only Walk Forward. I live with HIV Not a wager Lord and Savior Let me be clear with all ya'll here So happy we got all that out in the air. HIV and addiction fly formation in a circular pattern In the end, I have more than enough to do Am I being unclear? That's your asshole in there I feel much better after having written this poem. I know that I have a lifetime of work left to do Get e-mail notifications every time Brandon's blog is updated.
Comment by: JB
(Anaheim)
Tue., Nov. 15, 2011 at 10:34 pm EST I've read the poem a few times-powerful. But honestly I'm bothered by something-am I hearing that once you end up ready to get down with someone ready to php, it's only their responsibility to ask, and not yours to tell? I hope I'm reading that wrong.
Comment by: Brandon Lacy Campos
(New York, NY)
Tue., Mar. 15, 2011 at 8:59 pm EDT I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to you both. Thank you for your words and sharing your stories. Love, B
Comment by: paulm63
(Tucson, AZ)
Sun., Jan. 9, 2011 at 5:08 am EST Enjoyed the poem, Brandon. it is important to send a message that we are all responsible for our own actions. if we each just protect the one person over whom we have control, ourself, then no one else need be infected with HIV. that worked for me logically... i had allowed myself to be infected with the virus by allowing someone to enter me without a condom. it wasn't rape. it was 1987, i was 24yrs old, young, angry, lonely, foolish, addicted, in and out of recovery (more out than in). i went home with a man so i didn't have to make the trip home fucked up on a combination of drugs and alcohol. it was easier to let him enter me, than it was to fight it, i just wanted to sleep. i left in the morning before he awoke. it would have ended there, another, in a long list of poor decisions, except that night would have further consequences. being one of the first i knew to become infected, i endured being and feeling, like the local leper, until all those that jeered ultimately tested postive themselves. they could be held to the same level of justice that i had been given, or denied. screw 'em. i valued their lives as little as i valued my own. except that as i grew to accept myself, take better care of myself, love myself, it wasn't cruel logic that appealed to me anymore. i didn't deserve to be treated with malice, and neither do they. we are all foolish creatures, guided far more by emotion than logic. i wanted to be forgiven for my mistakes. i wanted to forgive myself. they deserve the same level of compassion... no matter how foolishly, how cruelly, their fear and ignorance had made them treat others. they are no wiser than me, why not forgive them their mistakes? why not forgive my own? whatever i have done in the past, or present, i want to be a person that is valued, and values others. so i attempt to treat others as i would like to be treated, with love, and compassion for my foolishness.
Comment by: John Biron
(Austin, Texas)
Thu., Jan. 6, 2011 at 6:33 pm EST No everything is not bigger in Texas, obviously, uh George Sr AND Jr and endlessly I could digress but will not. Im SO glad you got that off your chest Brandon. It's been as long time coming (I've been reading in between and behind the words for a bit), as much needed to be said as it is to be heard, especially for those who still have not recognized the power or powerlessness we fall under from our own self-deceptions. For those who still believe that their HIV Infection Protection Plan includes the question for when you really don't want to know cause they are so cute or the man of the hung hour now I need kind of protection, "Are you neg?, or Are you poz? or HIV neg only, or DDF only"...You only fool yourselves and have not heard a word of what Brandon myself or anyone else has said for 30 plus years, so deal with it! And let the rest of us live and love on in OUR own way....your path is set whether you heard or not. Be well Brandon one step at a time (have a hug from me right here if you please...*mmm*) and congratulations on giving birth to a gigantic baby heard!
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.) |
BLOG:
Queer, Poz and Colored: The Essentials  Brandon Lacy Campos Brandon Lacy Campos is a 32-year-old queer, poz, African-American, Afro-Puerto Rican, Ojibwe and Euro (smorgasbord) poet, playwright, blogger, journalist and novelist (that last one is slowly coming along). In 2009, MyLatinoVoice.com named him the #2 queer, Latino blogger to watch. In 2006, the Star Tribune named him a young policy wonk for his political shenanigans. His writing and poetry have appeared in numerous anthologies including, most recently, Mariposas, edited by Emanuel Xavier and published by Floricanto Press. This fall, his work will appear in the academic text Queer Twin Cities, published by the University of Minnesota Press. And, one of these days, Summerfolk Press will be publishing his first solo book of poetry: It Ain't Truth If It Doesn't Hurt. Brandon is hard at work on his first novel, Eden Lost, and he lives in New York City with his partner, artist David Berube, and his boss, Mimzy Lacy Berube de Campos (their dog). It's with heavy hearts that we share that Brandon passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012. He was 35 years old. Read memorials by Brandon's friends and colleagues. Subscribe to Brandon's Blog:
Recent Posts:
November 5, 2012 - Why Voting Matters: Barack Obama, I Got You -- A Blog Entry by Brandon Lacy Campos
October 16, 2012 - Volttage: A Dating and Hook Up Site for POZitively Sexy People -- A Blog Entry by Brandon Lacy Campos August 6, 2012 - What Do Justice for People With HIV, the Working Poor, People of Color and Women Have to Do With Christine Quinn? Absolutely Nothing: A Blog Entry by Brandon Lacy Campos June 9, 2012 - Meds Today: A Blog Entry by Brandon Lacy Campos June 6, 2012 - An HIV Nonprogressor Starts Meds; or HIV Sucks: A Blog Entry by Brandon Lacy Campos A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Body: About The Body | Contact The Body | Site Policies | Content Providers | Advertise With Us | Site Map The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 500 5th Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10110. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Email
Comments
Print-Friendly
Glossary
Subscribe
