Pride on the Shelf
Storefront shimmers, a rainbow plastered facade,
luring eyes in June’s commercial parade. Rainbow trinkets fill the shelves, each whispering of progress,
a brand’s attempt to appear socially conscious.
T-shirts emblazoned with raised fists, a symbol of defiance,
but the hands that stitched them, their stories remain hidden.
Hands worn thin in factories across the globe,
where LGBTQ+ rights hold little value.
The window shouts, “We celebrate you!” with loud displays,
but a quieter question lingers.
What happens after June’s flamboyant show fades?
Does their support with the rainbow truly extend beyond profit?
Perhaps a rainbow holds a pot of gold in legend,
but here, the prize is profit, the true test.
A muted echo of a movement’s core struggle,
reduced to cheap merchandise, a hollow spectacle.
2 thoughts on "Pride on the Shelf"
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It’s an interesting question. I struggle with the artifice of corporate messaging versus the different
kinds of impacts they have, too.
Thoughtful poem about a topic that bothers me too, although I think there are positives about Pride Month also.