A Little Bit Brighter

I was at home when it happened.
I wasn't paying attention, per se, to many things,
Just YouTube and online pride merch,
But then—
Then my phone dinged, and
My fingers shook.
I opened the text, and 
It read,
Over and over and over again,
The same message:
Biden won.
Biden won.
Biden WON.
It took a moment to sink in, I remember.
But then my friend called,
And we were shouting and crying
And five seconds turned into five minutes
Of us shouting,
Listening to the joyful song of freed people
On the street,
Listening to the honking sound of a truck bearing the Biden flag,
Listening to the world shout its delight
At being free.

Later that day, I pulled my they/them pronoun pin
Out of my backpack—
I haven't worn it
Since the election process has begun
Out of fear.
Then, proudly, I put it on my jacket
And walk outside,
Feeling the rain on my face.
And even though it's a cloudy day,
Everything feels
A little bit brighter, somehow.