Carry

They carry the flag

hanging from their pack

(blue, deep, the sky before sunset)

six stripes run vertical

across the back

I watch as we hike days on end

color bars bold and loud

like our legs, ever tougher

as hills grow steeper

rocks rougher

Trolls berate them

for bringing the flag

(one whole half an extra ounce)

into the outdoors

they say it is an apolitical space

the wild

which is a myth

but they carry it on

and on

Into the forest, ever greener

into the sky, ever more pink

not apologizing

for their existence

I find myself jealous

because I am still too scared

to carry our flag.

I find myself proud of them

for not backing down

for bringing the colors

right where they belong