Two Hearts Poem by Kynthia Rosgeal

Two hearts, beating strong.
Wasichu, your culture, your heritage
only allows binary definitions
so to you I can only be one, or the other

I am me. I am always together
with my other self, as you are with
yours, the one that smiles, and nods
yet doesn't understand, you feel scorn

for me? I weep for you. You see what
you fear most, yourself, and that makes you
angry. I embrace it, love it, celebrate it and
am, in certain circles, held as sacred.

Yet you see only what you have been
taught to see. What you wish to see
you need to listen, not to my words
words lie, the heart, it never lies

The heart begs me love you, my
spirit tells me to mistrust you, I tell
my spirit to be still, to sit quiet and trust
the heart, I do, now, I didn't, but I learned

My spirit told me I was a great warrior, he lied
my spirit told me I was a great man, he lied
my spirit told me many things, but he lied.
My heart, told me be still, and my heart was right

When I was still, my spirit had nothing to
say, my heart had plenty to say, but bade me
be still, quietly, as a child waiting for a treat
and that's when I finally heard it, beating, quietly but strong

my second heart, myself, now I am never alone.
I am always with me.