On Being Who You Are Poem by L MILTON HANKINS

New rhyme, new lyric, an old melody
Michael, not the archangel, sat across from me
At table and spoke about his new outlook
On life, a sudden leap into conversion (I took
Him to mean) , that confusion in his addled brain
Had allowed family, friends, others to subtly gain
Control over his innate inclination to be gay
Asking, "And what do you think Jesus would say?
Almost incoherently, in tears, his soulful eyes fell
"I am so afraid of dying and going to hell! "
"If you should be punished forever, seems to me,
For not being who you were never meant to be
Is the grossest miscarriage of justice, my friend.
Here is the best advice I have to lend:
Self-denial is the pathway to hell on this earth
So, be true to yourself, and believe in your worth."