Today I met over coffee
a cowboy in drag
with spurs and rattlesnake boots
assumed life must have been
about more than pretend.
In the middle of conversation
it was determined
ribbons and bows make one
invisible to blind folks
who don’t know how to
shine on.
Pick a flower, choose to be
as beautiful as you
show the world no fear
or shed a single tear
because you are you.

burn baby burn