I turn up like a malo centavo

In Eagle Pass, Texas.

"Her pants are too tight,"

I hear a woman whisper in Spanish.

The girl behind the counter

Has smiled and been friendly to everyone until me.

Her smile fades noticeably when she sees mine.

No matter.

I continue to smile at her,

Because I get it,

And I appreciate the difference she's making

In the other customers' minds, today.

I, too, am making a difference,

A slight reset in the hearts,

A raising of the bar for freedom and freakiness,

A happy wildness that harms no one,

And only seeks to inspire.

I am on a constant quest for liberation,

And my journal entries here

Remind me of where I am,

Where I've been,

Where I'm headed.

And I know the milestones

When I see myself in every brother,

Every sister that I meet.

And sometimes, someone even tells me that 

Some place here, where we are,

Is a billion percent better

Because I'm here, too.

-jenn