Poetry

Who Can Fly the Rainbow Flag?

A poem of pride and solidarity

Photo by Jana Sabeth on Unsplash

When Gilbert stitched his flag
He didn’t think of me
He made it for the silent
Shunned and shamed
The outcast and alone
He made it for the child
Expelled from home for
Being different from the rest
He made it for others
Not me, no, not for me

When Gilbert stitched his flag
He gave each color meaning
Red: life
Orange: healing
Yellow: sunlight
Green: nature
Blue: art
Violet: spirit
Treasures to uphold

When Gilbert stitched his flag
Allies were a dream, a hope
Unexpected
Seldom realized
Yet we were there
Cherishing our friends
Tending their battered souls
Bandaging their wounds
Loving our “bachelor” uncles
Defending “mannish” aunts
They called us fag hags, then
And worse, but that was nothing
In the face of what our friends endured
And It did not deter us, not at all