The Middle Way

Jul 8, 2021 | 2015 Winter - Religion/Spirituality, Poetry

No extremes

Non Bi-Nary

By Gwendolyn Fougy 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

Gwendolyn Fougy Henry, Ed.M., MSLIS is a writer, librarian, archivist, mental health advocate, and vegan personal chef. She is the founder of Bisexual Women of Color (BIWOC), an online and inperson support and discussion group based in Boston, MA.

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