This has been edited since I found my issue. Yes passing the Args works. I needed to change how I thought of the args:

sub make_a_worker
{
    my ( $postback, $message ) = @_;
    POE::Session->create(
        inline_states => {
            _start          => \&start_message_process,
            process_message => \&process_message,
            delay_test      => \&delay_test,
            _end            => \&end_message_process,
        },
        args => [  $message ],
    );
      
}

sub start_message_process {
    my ($kernel, $session, $heap, @args) = @_[KERNEL, SE
+SSION, HEAP, ARG0 .. $#_ ];
    $kernel->yield( process_message => $postargs->[0] );
}
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This appears to work. I will confirm on my end with a longer example.