Ache is a Passport

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>In her debut mini-collection poet and IFB cult survivor Amanda Dzimianski offers those suffering from spiritual abuse words of healing hope and affirmation.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Religious trauma and spiritual deconstruction download a myriad of painful emotions to our bodies and souls-burning anger debilitating fear suffocating confusion deepest grief.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Underneath it all there is a transformative invitation:</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>listen to your own longings and you may find yourself freer than you ever imagined.</span></p><p><br></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Composed for both the exvangelical and the deconverted these poems honor mourn and celebrate the journey out of religious suppression and into self-love and spiritual empowerment.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>For the church-wounded who have spent life</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-bargaining with a deity</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-people-pleasing in the name of faith</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-tamping down every desire</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-judging emotion</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-fearing divine retribution</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-rebranding or ignoring intuition</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-suffering to keep others comfortable</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-hiding a true self underneath layers of community-defined acceptability</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-pursuing religion's brand of holiness at the expense of curiosity dreams ambitions and/or physical and mental health</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0); color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>...these poems are for you.</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>