Just One Thing with Jill Kitchen

Jill Kitchen’s poem “in a parallel universe, there is nothing i cannot do” uses a gorgeous cascade of language to open a portal into a different state of being. Here she shares just one thing about the piece:

“I find that beginning a poem with a chant-like repetition, a sort of singing to myself, is a softer, gentler way to delve further into trauma as a subject matter. Here in this piece, I am pressing against the wounds of seizures, a near death experience in labor, and the daily struggle of living with chronic illness. For me, the rhythm and chant feel like a protection from re-traumatization. I am also obsessed with writing “what if” pieces and have found that they can be a way to reclaim power and strength from difficult situations in the past. The breathless, fluid style of this poem without punctuation helped me keep writing toward everything I wanted to address without limiting or censoring myself at all. The voice and raw heartache of this poem made me immediately want to share it with the team at Split Lip because I knew it would be safe in their hands.”