What comes next?

Do I repeat

LOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERY TIME

at the man asking what I see in my girlfriend?

She says "Ironic. Shouldn't you know?"

And he's left angry, but silenced

Do I shout

I'M HERE AND I'M QUEER

when I enter my mom's home

though she says, "how's your housemate?"

when referring to my girlfriend

How can I Do I still look in the mirror

with this newfound sense of self

and acceptance even after June

when every storefront brandished

a flag and a sticker that said

WE SUPPORT THE LGBT+

Because now

the words scare me even more

the fake ignorance is hard to ignore

the stickers have left outlined rectangles and sticky residue

and I'm wondering two things

what do I say now?

without the help of rhymes and chants and people who speak for me when my tongue gets tied? Do I still stand with the confidence when the clothes have no more rainbows and the streets run dry of colored paint and excited bodies? Every day I ask myself "Who are you?" like a toddler looking into a stranger's eyes, confused and amused with possibilities but scared of what they bring.

"I'm figuring things out."

And I hold her hand and smile. because

LOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERY TIMELOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERY TIMELOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERY TIMELOVE WINS EVERY TIME LOVE WINS EVERYTIME LOVEWINSEVERYTIMELOVEWINS EVERYTIMELOVEWINSEVERYTIMEWEWILLWINEVERYTIME