My First Pride

Vulnerable, timid, scared. Still I tried

to stand up and stand out, act unafraid,

to show my face and celebrate at Pride:

First time the mayor allowed a parade.

.

We stood four hundred on that empty street,

cautious, nervous, brave, even still unsure

if bright June’s sun and summer’s heat

were the only obstacles we’d endure.

.

Old ladies peered through curtains pulled apart,

and more often than not, I swear they smiled.

That tiny city had one damn big heart

and into it, we queer ones slowly filed.

.

Decades of progress show Pride is worth the fuss;

We must help those still oppressed to walk with us.