The applause still echoes in my head,
Close my eyes and their smiles, their tears, their laughter returns.
The 'thank you' sticks in my throat,
I did no more than have fun, but they used that moment,
And made it mean everything,
Made celebration into a statement,
A clarification,
Acceptance, pride.
And as the elation fades, the sun-hazed evening remains,
The shining words whisper in my ear,
The spotlight still warms me and fills my head with freedom.
This is success.
Worked for, bought with effort and
time and stress and plans.
We did it. We did it. We did it.