Writing from the perspective of home, identity and belonging, slam poet Jennifer Alicia weaves stories of healing and self-realization into her performances.

This is for the times I allowed binaries

to chalkine my erasure.

The times I build a home within

my fractured bones for others,

and their othering.

All of the times I allowed the guilt

of not being a good woman

drown me in the same water

I prayed to.

I forgive you.

I no longer grieve for the broken bloodline

No longer allow shame to absorb my magic

To be seen in my entirety is to sit in my medicine in the lodge,

Without judgement of attire

No more mourning for belonging

When I know kinship

Two-Spirit folks have always

been part of the circle.

Jennifer Alicia (they/she) is a queer, mixed (Mi’kmaw/Settler – German, Irish, Scottish) multidisciplinary artist originally from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland), now residing in Toronto. Writing began as an outlet for them as a child, to process and to heal experiences from childhood. Now their work has evolved into exploring themes of home and homesickness through poetry and short stories, as well as performing spoken word at marches, rallies, and open mics. Jennifer Alicia is also the author of the chapbook Mixed Emotions, a two-time national poetry slam champion, and has developed a script for the first ever Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival in June 2021 and the 2021 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.