Voice of a Different Heart

In his latest collection of poems and refl ections, F. L. Richards shares more about what he calls the many faces of sexuality. With crystal imagery, he gives personality to the real life characters of struggle, love, relationship and priority. As they reveal their identities, they fi nd themselves surrounded by the ever-present opponents of label, stereotype and judgment. What emerges is a mixture of gripping, candid, deeply emotional sentiments which uplift with affi rmation, recollect with joy as well as lamentation, and confront with emphatic reaction. Although each of the writings presents perceptions, beliefs or experiences with distinct mood and tone, all come together in the unity of one voice. It is the voice of a different heart.

The writings in Voice of a Different Heart are not intended to change minds but to open them to a deeper understanding that what we share in common as members of the human family is so much greater and more important than what divides us in the endless debates of society, politics and religion about rightness, entitlement, dignity, purpose and plan. We do well to remember that, while the prefixes of identity, homo and hetero, may say something about us and attempt to ascribe descriptive perceptions to the isolated, singular characteristic of sexuality, they can never define the wholeness of who we are. Ultimately, that is what matters most.

This book is preceded by the author's other poetic writings, In the House of the Father and The Looking Glass, this work completes what has evolved as an introspective trilogy.