Pride
By NL
Every June you see the celebration
The outfits and confetti
A myriad of colors that fill every major city
A coronation for all the kings, queens, and everyone in-between
Who dared to walk their own path to freedom
And ours
Our journeys are different, but sadly tend to look the same
You see the dancing in the streets but not the pain he felt when dad said, “You’re not my son”
You see the signs with LOVE displayed but not the signs of depression from years of isolation by the cool kids
You see the flags but not the crying as grandma had the minister exorcise her
‘Cause she wanted to exercise her right to love
You hear the music but not the tears that ran as we plotted our escape
From families, religions, and expectations
From painful experiences that told us and showed us
We are not enough
Somehow, some way we found the grace that was not given to us
And grace the world with our presence
Choosing to embody the essence of love
And use it to pave the way for a brighter future
A future many have tried to deny us
But we stood up and fought
From Stonewall to Pulse
We bared a cross that was not always ours to carry
Pride is a painful past, a hopeful present, and a bright future
Pride is pain and struggle
Pride is love and redemption
Pride is hands held with former enemies turned family
Even if it means we get no apology
It is the continued fight to see and be seen
To live as the unapologetic heirs to the throne HE said we are
Pride is everything
Nothing and nobody can take it from us
Because it lives within us and seeps into everything we do
Pride, we didn’t always have it but we have it now
And we live loud and proud because we deserve to
8 Comments
Leave a Comment
The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
NL, thank you for sharing your poem – and your story – with us. “Pride” a really effective poem – there is great imagery throughout (as colorful as the pride parades you open the poem describing) and the call-and-response cadence of the specific examples you share gives the poem a unique rhythm. This line is especially powerful for me as the parent of a Queer kid: Pride is a painful past, a hopeful present, and a bright future. It takes so much courage to be your true and authentic self. I hope you feel very proud of yourself and your writing, indeed.
Hi NL, Thank you so much for writing this! It’s a very brave poem. I appreciate how it shows both the celebration and the pain of the LGBTQ+ experience. It’s a good reminder to readers that while the celebrations and parades are spectacular, they were hard won and involve a lot of painful experiences. And despite them, the community chooses love to “pave the way,” as you write.
I have a few questions about parts of your poem. I was a little confused early in the poem when you write, “Who dared to walk their own path to freedom/ And ours/Our journeys are different, but sadly tend to look the same.” I wondered if the distinction was made (by adding “And ours”) to mean that those visible in the Pride celebrations inspired others to walk their own paths? I thought at first that you were going to compare your unique experience with that of people in the Pride celebrations. Maybe simply removing the line “and ours” would clear up confusion, or writing more about what you mean by “and ours.”
I’m also curious about how a person finds their way to being “enough”: “Somehow, some way we found the grace that was not given to us.” Is it through self-love, through community, or some other way? It seems like there might be more to explore here.
I love this line too and am curious to know more about what it means: “Pride is hands held with former enemies turned family.” Who are the former enemies? What does it take to heal? This also might be something to explore more.
Thanks again for writing and sharing this poem! Keep writing!
As a bi man myself, I can relate to having your family hate you for not being straight. I’m actually pretty scared to tell my grandparents about it. Corporations and companies always are so happy about pride month, but for the rest of the year they do nothing to help any of us. But hey, at least things are getting better! It’ll take a while but soon I’m sure that every state will give us rights.
Sometimes I do feel as though the history of pride is buried underneath all of the marketing of the rainbow and joy that pride has main streamed for marketing now. Sometimes it could even be hard to think about the difficult past that people in the LGBT community have had to face just to exist without persecution
NL, the way you described the struggle behind the scenes for many of us was incredible. Your use of repetition helps make the message clear: Pride is our celebration of those who made progress before us, of the progress that we have made, and the progress that still has to be made. I wish more people could read your poem.
I wish I had words to describe how beautifully written this poem is. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the way you described the many different paths of people, it made me feel seen and heard. The contrast between what most see and what’s behind the curtain was a jarring and necessary part of this piece. I love how you describe pride, the examples you used were clear and definitely gave me a clear image of how you define it.
It is a moving testament to the courage of LGBTQ+ individuals who have fought for acceptance, equality, and the right to love openly. Such poems inspire us to stand together in solidarity, promoting understanding, inclusivity, and the beauty of love in all its forms.
This poem is so powerful. There are unfortunately so many LGBTQ+ voices that are muffled, and cannot be who they truly are. I love the visuals of Pride parades, while also acknowledging the struggle behind all of the happy faces attending. The line where you said, “You see the dancing in the streets but not the pain he felt when dad said, “You’re not my son”’ is so touching. Many people, especially those not in the community, do not understand the strength it takes to be your authentic self. This poem is so special and shows how there are people out there to offer love and support. I really hope to read more of your work, this poem is truly special!