Stuart
As I ponder
What to say to Stuart Forward
On this birthday of wonder
The words form in my mind
"I love you"
Not because I fancy him that much
Handsome though he be
But because he is the the most loveable person
That ever knew me
So kind in manner
And tender in speech
He fights for liberty
Yet never does preach
A perceptive humour
With a knowledge
Of post-colonial literature
Like that of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Or perhaps that of Cuba
It would not be the same
For me to say Je T'aime
For that's too romantic
And romance is not ma thème
Many, by the complexities of gender and sexuality are kept apart
But at the risk of being viewed as a literary tart
I will wish him happy birthday
And tell him that I love him
With my art
Povey 2013