We march through the streets dressed in rainbows and smiles
Dancing and waving at cheering crowds
But even as I wave, I can see them—
The haters behind the smiles
Billy-Bob waving his rifle over his head
And gesturing at the parade
His chin pointing out the colorfully clad dancers
As if making a list
I know that guy—am I on it?
The woman grasping the hand of her son
And pulling him through the cheering audience,
Hectoring him: “Hurry up! You don’t need to see this!”
Even the poorest of lip-readers could see it
She looks just like my neighbor
We nod to each other over our mailboxes
Before hurrying back inside our semi-safe homes
Was that really her?
I can feel the smile slipping off my face
And falling to the pavement beneath my feet
I stomp on it as we march by
I don’t know how to retrieve it now
Lyn says “Never mind, it’s fine
“Remember how far we’ve come.”
But the two-mile parade feels decades long
And there’s still so far to go
And my feet hurt almost as much as my heart
As I search the crowd for genuine smiles
I know they are out there
I know they are
But after the parade
All I feel is exhaustion and fear
Will I never belong?
About the Creator
Paula Shablo
Daughter. Sister. Mother. Grandma. Author. Artist. Caregiver. Musician. Geek.
(Order fluctuates.)
Follow my blog at http://paulashablo.com
Follow my Author page at https://www.amazon.com/Paula-Shablo/e/B01H2HJBHQ
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Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Comments (1)
Fabulous!!!👏💖😊💕