In The Spotlight - December

Amie Hyson, of Greenfield, has been a part of Voices From Inside since March of 2017. Immediately upon joining the Wednesday afternoon group at the RECOVER Project in Greenfield, Amie knew she had found something near and dear to her heart. Writing had always been an integral part of her life. As a woman in long term recovery from opioid addiction, she had utilized writing as a recovery tool on her own for many years, but she had not had much opportunity to share her love of writing with others until becoming a part of VFI. She looked forward to the group each week and was often surprised by what came out of her pen in response to the various prompts offered. In the Autumn of 2017, Amie was invited to participate in VFI's facilitator training and excitedly accepted. She began co-facilitating at the RECOVER Project immediately following her training and has been doing so ever since. In early 2018, when Amie learned that the Franklin County House of Corrections had begun housing women and that VFI would be providing workshops for the women inside the Greenfield Jail, she volunteered to co-facilitate the first one beginning in May of 2018. She loved her experience writing with the incarcerated women so much that she asked if she could be the 'point person' for the program which has recently begun its fourth round of 10-week writing workshops. Amie is very grateful for the opportunities VFI has provided her which have enabled her to grow as a writer, leader, facilitator and woman in recovery. She hopes to be a part of VFI for a long time to come!


I Am From
By Amie Hyson
​
I am from
Ice cream &
apple pie
Pie in the sky &
Sky high
I double as
A troublemaker
in disguise
I am from
A darkness
So vast that
It threatens
To consume
I am from
A rapid fire
Heartbeat
Giving way to
Full blown panic
I am from
Sweaty palms &
Lying awake
Till dawn

I am from
Wondering where
My next fix
Will come fromI am from
Tiny white lines
Laid out &
Carefully counted

I am from
Blue pill days &
A hillbilly haze
I am from
Oxy-Nation
Where fat pharma
Thrives on victimization
I am from
Fed up &
Had enough
I am from
I am done
Nowhere to run
And I will not be silenced!

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