Poem by Eric D. Miller and Sean Evans

I AM A MAN

Eric: I am a man. Sean: I am a black man. Eric: I am a gay black man…

Eric and Sean: …who loves a gay black man.

Sean: I live in Brooklyn. Eric: I live in Brooklyn on Church Avenue. Sean: On Church Avenue—my beautiful furniture. Eric: I sit and talk on my white telephone. Sean: My white refrigerator and white stove.

Eric: On Church Avenue are many churches. Sean: And many churches are filled… Eric: …are filled with evil and judgmental people.

Sean: A pastor calls me ‘botty boy.’ Eric: A pastor—he’s a botty boy himself, uncoverly.

Sean: I turn the key to my house, enter, Eric’s peace I see.

Eric: Pastor walks in his house. It’s his wife he sees.

Sean: Wishes she was a man. Eric and Sean: A young, black man.

Eric: This is real on Church Avenue. Sean: An avenue with no true church.

Eric D. Miller and Sean Evans