A transgender child
does not not exist
just because a white man
says that that is so
as two spirited
third genders
and others
(eight in the Talmud! that I didn’t know)
exist around the globe
as in the
hijra of India
fa’afafine of Samoa
burrnesha of Albania
quariwarmi of Peru
guevedoche of Dominican Republic
muxe of Oaxaca
sekrata of Madagascar
fakaleiti of Tonga
lhamana of Zuni
winkte of Lakota
bakla of Philippines
acault of Burma
xanith of Oman
and waria of Indonesia
just to name a few
gender is as binary
as is the world is flat
asserting so otherwise
is simply spewing scat
Blue sky forms the fortress of their world
I can picture them- the ebony and white
velvet stripes, the arch of necks, the
flint-edged hooves
Beneath the weather-regimented trees
they gather in the heat- to rest
Heat waves and the dreaded grunt of beasts of prey
then the hegira, enmasse
following
the calling of the rain
a vital splash of life-
they heed the voices
of the seasons change- along the hidden
pathways of
the sun browned plains
Suzanne Delaney
he•gi•ra also he•ji•ra (hi-ji'r?, hej'?r-?)
n.
1. A flight to escape danger.
2. also Hegira The flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D., marking the beginning of the Muslim era.
[Medieval Latin, from Arabic hijra, emigration, flight, from hajara, to depart.]
Dancing Eunuchs Of India
Eunuchs they were, who sang at doorsteps for alms
At birth and death alike; blessed the bride and groom too.
They danced their dark bodies heavily gyrating,with
busted breasts, hairy chest and hefty forms tightly clad
in saris candy colored ,sequined and six feet long.
Painted smiles, jingling bangles, tinkling anklets
sang bawdy ballads of glorified virgins and stillborn children,
in a third gender voice-a hostile blend of two opposite sexes.
01/11/2013
Mehnaz Veetil
Entry for 8 lines contest on a native culture, sponsored by Debbie Guzzi
Note: Most of the eunuchs in India live by begging. They normally come out in groups of about five to ten and spread out in streets approaching small shops and restaurants for alms. Normally people give them alms out of fear of being cursed. It is widely believed in India that the curse of a "hijra" is very effective; same with their blessings. They offer to dance at small family functions like naming ceremonies of newborn children, weddings and other village functions.
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