Off the Parade Route
a poem about where PRIDE begins
Today’s poem comes from a conversation about why celebrating PRIDE matters and how parades aren’t necessarily the place where PRIDE begins. For some of us, PRIDE starts with quiet curiosity and cautious moves.
Tenderly, Rebecca
Off the Parade Route
(a poem about where Pride begins)
©Rebecca Wilson, June 2026
a solo trip to the bookstore
a skip into a music store
a slow step into the men’s department
a nap in fresh cut grass
after another chapter of Ruby Fruit Jungle
Melissa Etheridge playing in your ear
cargo pant pockets holding way too many keys
a Lilith Fair ticket kept as a sacred souvenir
a barber shop appointment
clippers tight against your skin
all that hair falling to the floor
one less mask to wear
a pilgrimage to the house of flowers
frozen drinks in a backyard garden
an underground tunnel
leading to a temple of ancient light
Robert Brady’s museum
Frida and Diego
laughing, joking, dreaming in a second language
kayak paddles through green water canals
tandem bike rides on familiar trails
a reminder you never really forget how to pedal
a sweaty walk up hill
a surprise stream in the mountains
star gazing at noon
deer in the moonlight
hearts in the headlights
a tea party at midnight
baby bears running in the crosswalk
chalk on their fur
a dance with a stranger
touch from an angel
fresh violets and carnations
hot coffee and warm scones on the table
a deep breath, a wide smile
a whisper in the mirror
reuniting with your reflection
promising to never disappear again
If you read this poem, will you drop a heart? If it stirred a thought or feeling leave a comment or send a message to let me know. I try hard to respond to them all.
Such simple things…with deep meaning. May I pause to notice, take inventory with my heart and not always with my head and may we all lean into who we are and who we are becoming.
Lovely.