My Pride Parade

Anonymous, 11th- Oakland, CA
 I will not pause my world from orbiting 
Or stop the sun from rising
Simply to announce 
Whose hand I want to hold 
And whose eyes I will not be scared to look into 
Because the world will orbit 
The sun will rise 
And so will I 

I am learning to love myself 
I don’t know if this learning will ever stop 
Or if it should 
But I will learn to appreciate 
Whatever love I have to give. 
It’s not always brave
It’s not always bold 
and it's not always loud
But it caresses my skin
And lets me feel the sun's warmth
Every time I carry it in my arms 
Until it fills the empty spaces 
I’ve gotten used to creating.
It makes my voice roar 
Every time it feels like silencing.
It opens my hand 
When I’m scared about who it’s going to reach out to. 
It appreciates the stretch marks that paint my thighs 
The way they do on the trees that make each breath easier to take. 
I am not always brave 
I am not always bold 
And I am not always loud
But I am here 
and I am learning how to love 
Every breath 
I take.