THE PARTY GIRL
Praise to neon lights
& new beginnings
that start in bathroom mirrors
lip gloss and last-minute fit checks
laughter louder than the playlist
the night, ours for the taking
Cop cars posted up outside
the club but we go in anyway
because you only live as
much as you let yourself
and joy is a risk worth taking
Club mix dialed up high
as we jerk and bounce to the rhythm
hips shaking, bodies serpentine
sweat glistening like diamonds
arms raised in collective prayer
as we dance away our burdens
Praise to the hustle
to stumbling home at 3 yet
still clocking in at 9 because
bills don’t care how beautiful
the night was and
the rent never leaves unfed
Praise to the venue
club, warehouse, abandoned mall
the where not mattering as much (if at all)
so long as the vibes are good
so long as the music hits just right
so long as we fall in love at least once
before the night is through
Praise to your friend’s friend’s back patio
smoke rings and snapshots
cheap speakers crackling in the corner,
best friends sharing juicy secrets,
lovers kissing under the string lights,
all of us briefly believing
that this could last forever
Praise to the protest
paying respect to those
who fought so we could dance
who carved out space for
us to exist as we are
who made joy an act of rebellion
who knew that freedom
sometimes looks like music
and bodies moving in harmony.
Praise to the party girl herself
mascara tears that dry before sunrise
patron saint of glittered survival
she lives her life to the fullest,
turning late nights into lifelong memories,
forever making a cathedral out of the chaos
Strike Out,
Orlando
Written by: Juju Gordon
Edited by: Delaney Gunnell & Arsheeya Garg
This poem was written for Strike Magazine Orlando’s Issue 12: The Search For Identity. Check out the rest of the magazine and Juju’s work, available online now!
