Poem: "Looking In, Looking Out"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem came out of the January 6, 2018 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by pocketnaomi. It also fills the "enigmatic" square in my 1-31-18 You Are card for the Valentines Bingo fest.


"Looking In, Looking Out"


There is an enigmatic orientation
that people look at but don't see,
and which they only recognize
when someone else points it out.

It lies along an axis of self and other,
about people looking in, looking out.

Someone inward-facing seeks
relationships to build a family.

They may want to marry and
have children, or may prefer
to join a polyfamily in progress,
but they're always seeking
a home where they can
share each other's lives.

Inward-facing people
think in terms of we.

Someone outward-facing
seeks relationships to enrich
their individual life.

They may live alone and
find friends and lovers who
live far away. They visit
one at a time more than
coming together in groups.

Outward-facing people
think in terms of I.

There are folks at
the extreme ends of
this spectrum, and
others in the middle.

Yet they're all folks
falling in love or like or
whatever floats their boat.

They're all looking for
companionship of
one kind or another.

They're all hearts
hoping for other hearts
beating in the same rhythm,
whether they happen to be

looking in, or looking out.

Comments

[technoshaman]

<3

I think perhaps it was that I was an I person for a very long time, but am definitely becoming more a we person... not completely so, not even close... but the change is noticeable.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

In my observation, sexuality is much more malleable than most people realize. After all, a majority of folks start out aromantic asexual, then want some flavor of sex/romance for some decades, and as elders a lot of folks lose interest in sex although romance fades less often. Sometimes people think their orientation is one thing, then fall in love with someone unexpected.

I also think life would be a lot saner if we talked about this more, and how to handle it when your body or heart surprise you. Preferably not by beating the shit out of the person you didn't expect to find attractive.

Re: Yes ...

[technoshaman]

LOL! An' Bre'r Bear, he lay LOW.

Re: Yes ...

[pocketnaomi]

Or anybody else, really.

[johnpalmer]

That would be good, but it can be harder than you think. Until a person has their consciousness raised, these issues can seem like distractions, and will get called "political correctness" which means "something we can spin into a grievance for 50%+epsilon".