No extremes
Non Bi-Nary
By F. Henry
Au milieu
Désir et être
The Haitian Seventh Day Adventist religion didn’t offer
me the space to be free
it encouraged restriction and pretense
restraint in emotional expression, intellectual curiosity,
and gender and sexual identity
masking of abuse, assault, and neglect
it uplifted and celebrated the richness of Haitian culture,
history, language and racial identity
passion and zeal in the ability to be different from other faiths
enmeshed with an impervious circle
joy, happiness, anger, fear, frustration
tempered like chocolate to maintain a state of visual and
palatable perfection
A state exposed to other elements such as moisture and air
led to a muted unpolished appearance
spirituality and fellowship in affirming spaces offer me a
deep tissue connection to a Higher Presence
freedom to express bliss and ecstasy
body, mind, spirit, community
unrestrained to feel sorrow, melancholy, or blue
space to ache and recover
liberation and emancipation to exercise compassion,
empathy, kindness, radical acceptance
a soul safe home embracing all my identities
F. Henry is a writer.