Categories

Two poems about being a misfit from Isaac Aju

Categories

(For Prinna Nnanna)

You do not fit into any category,
And you know people love categories.
People want categories.
People love things to be categorized.
Are you male or female?
Are you gay or straight?
So you are in a bit of a trouble when you don’t easily fit in.
You have to get ready for the stares and scowls, and distancing.
The custodians of categorization will not be happy with you.
I want you to know this.
I want you to have it at the back of your mind.
But still,
Thrive just as you are.
Thrive!
Thrive in the midst of confusions.
Thrive under their ugly stares.
Refuse to shrink.
Just go ahead and thrive.
That should be your response to them.
Thrive!
Do not be apologetic for your success!

Stares

For many people,
It is difficult for them to decide whether I am male or female.
It is difficult for them to come to a conclusion,
So they ask me, ‘Are you male or female?’
‘Male’ I would say.
Some of them would give me a pitiful nod,
As though to say that something was wrong somewhere.
They stare at me when I walk past the streets –
Wide, curious stares.
Some people would try to hide their ugly stares,
Others would giggle and point their fingers.
See a boy who walks like a girl.
More giggles.
This one is neither male nor female.
But I would mind none of them.
I would mind none of their stares.
I would mind none of their giggles.
I would never give a fuck about nobody.

Isaac Aju is a writer based in Aba, eager to portray the city in literature. He loves the city, believes in the city, hopes for the city, and most of his works are inspired by people who live around him. His works has appeared in different publications.