ivy.
A Poem by Jena Kitchen
reach the precipices
your fortress beckons
that i break through
steadily i grow, i go
onward and upward
and stronger still
i lean back precariously
off of your wall
mirroring the ballerina
bending dangerously far
upward, upward,
upward i climb
the reason?
humanity’s birthright
so yet, i climb
you may cut me down
but i stretch onward
and resist
i remain,
I persist.
Jena Kitchen is founder of Radiate Social Impact, a consulting firm that infuses conflict transformation and neuroscience-based practices into organizational strategy and culture alongside purpose-driven organizations. She has experienced chronic pain, disabilities, and unending medical appointments since age 11. The complexity of grace, grief, grit, and healing is interwoven into her story which continues to unfold. She has been published by MockingHeart Review, Inside Hanover Magazine and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry, and Innovation.