Someone approached me online recently and got offended that I was defending the word, Gypsy. Told me to stop using it if I wasn’t of Romanian heritage. I’ll make this short and sweet . . .
GYPSY
Oxford Dictionary:
gyp·sy
1.
a member of a people originating in South Asia and traditionally having an itinerant way of life, living widely dispersed across Europe and North and South America and speaking a language (Romani) that is related to Hindi; a Romani person.
a nomadic or free-spirited person.
“Why should she choose to wander the world with a penniless gypsy like me?”
(of a business or business person) nonunion or unlicensed.
“gypsy trucking firms”
I’d like to add to that definition above. I consider myself a Gypsey. For a handful of reasons. I’m not only a poetrusic, wandering soul With oracle-like intuition. I grew up with the word. My mother considered herself a Gypsey. Because of the same reasons that I do now. Many of the people my parents were friends with considered themselves as so. One of them’s names was even Gypsey. Not a nickname, her actual name. My Beautiful Muse is also a Gypsey.
Plus, I have visions. Had them since childhood. Look at my palms; all the marks are there. You do not know me. So don’t presume. I frankly don’t care what anyone thinks of me saying it. Or using it in my writing. Because there are two activities that I love in life. I LOVE to Write, and I LOVE to Do Whatever The Fuck I Want. Everything listed here, in essence, IS Gypsey.
I’m sure a lot of others have their own definitions as well. That word means so many different things to so many different people. It spans the Earth and all of humanity. No matter the ethnicity or creed.
People of Romanian descent should be Proud of that word for that very reason. What once was hurtful and disgraceful slang has become something beautiful and cherished around the world. Due to several reasons depending on your geographical standpoint. As for it being called a racial slur, there’s only one race—Humans. Or implying illegality or vagrancy, I have practiced both. With pride in my heart.
So, in closing, I Will NOT Stop using the word. Even if there is a stereotype attached. Hate me if you want, but I’ve been hated for less. I’m taking the word back. I’m proud to be a Gypsey. You should be too.
Love Y’all, Write On,
JDCIV
🌒🌕🌘
🦉💀🦇
🤟🔮🕯️
🍄🎟️🍄
Females with villainous qualities have always turned me on.
James Dennis Casey IV is a poet, artist, and founder/editor-in-chief of Cajun Mutt Press. His work has been published in print and online by several small press venues and literary magazines. His newest book, Bad Weed Never Dies is available on Amazon.
The 2016 La Voce dei Poeti, La Catena della Pace international poetry contest gave his entry “Warriors of the Rainbow” a critic’s choice award, and his poem “That’ll do Pig” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize by New Pop Lit in 2019.
James was born in Colorado, grew up in Louisiana/Mississippi, and currently resides in Illinois with his beautiful muse and their three cats.