tonight i skipped half a block
with a complete stranger
a gorgeous girl
with ebony skin
and a black and blonde head
of tightly curled hair

elbows linked
we bounced along
as her friend followed
arm in arm with mine
under the influence
of more than alcohol

sitting on this side of
wide-open coffee shop windows
watching couples walk past
i can’t help wondering
if decades from now
you and i could be
those little old asian ladies
strolling that stretch of sidewalk
side by side and hand in hand
oblivious to the young queers
rushing around them in search of
hillcrest’s most popular pride parties

the weekend was full
of atmospheric exchanges
between city and festival and crowd
and personal exchanges
between them and you and me

and yesterday’s afternoon nap
was my body’s attempt
to recoup some
of the expended energy

the castro after midnight
was probably not the place for me

not as crowded as it looked
on the eleven o’clock news
but still plenty of revelers
wandering the streets

some intoxicated and slow
weaving along in high spirits
others sober and fast
striding through with purpose

a few completely still, sitting
at unserviced bus stops, sipping water
observing the flow of people, passing
excited, but unsure what to do

attending my first pride
this weekend
and I am
anxious

to check on
a junior high friend
who recently
lost her mother

to beat at boggle
the high school buddy
who’s been
kicking my ass at words

to catch up
with a college housemate
over coffee
and artisanal chocolate

to have them
gathered
around me
for the first time

to find out
if they all
know
the same person