SugaKOd

Via Vincent Infante

It started quiet,

filled with dark

a sickness passed in blood and breath.

But louder than the virus

was the blame.

People looked at them

not with care,

but with questions loaded like weapons.

The strain wasn’t the only thing

that tried to kill them

They came with colors,

with love that didn’t fit

within society’s rules.

And for that,

they were called wrong.

Some died from the virus.

Others from silence.

Still, they rose.

Together, we learned to hold each other

when no one else would.

We built safe spaces from kindness,

families from scratch,

hope from heartbreak.

But even now,

after all the marches,

all the names stitched and tattered in vain,

all the medicine,

all the truth

we wait.

We wait for a society

that says all deserve to exist

without apology.

It’s safety.

It’s recognition.

It’s a lifeline

for every young soul

afraid to walk home

as themselves.

This isn’t just about HIV

it’s about humanity.

And the time to care

is now.

Set personal beliefs aside.

Let’s work side by side,

raise awareness,

be a guiding light,

fight for what is right,

and become templars of hope

for those who need to cope.