Body Count: Kyla Jamieson spotlights invisible illness through poetry
Kyla Jamieson’s poetry collection, Body Count, is a fearless retelling of experiencing a traumatic brain injury and living with post-concussion syndrome. Jumping between Vancouver and New York, Kyla examines the phases of life she goes through pre- and post-illness.
At the beginning of Body Count, Kyla plunges into her life before her injury, examining how she chooses to live and the way the world expects her to be. Like many millennials, she’s filled with hope and ambition, while questioning whether the world is set-up to allow her to live her dreams. She describes yearning to find an alternative to capitalism-centred living. Her philosophies on neoliberalism will strike a chord for many, especially during the time of this pandemic. A generational think piece, she challenges what may seem ludicrous in this world. In her poem, “F for Effort,” she sums up her inner-knowing by saying, “idk / I don’t think / I’m trying / to learn what / they’re trying / to teach me.” Following the status quo may not be fulfilling after all.
Poet Kyla Jamieson
Her poetry tells stories of misogyny and rape, self-image and self-love, intimacy and sexual pleasure, and pervasive technology. Without warning, as tragedy often occurs, the pages turn to reveal Kyla’s brain injury and her invisible suffering. Pain, grief and her healing process create a kaleidoscope of trauma, depicting a post-concussion syndrome that’s neither linear or visible to others.
Kyla continues to take readers on a dreamlike journey through the rest of Body Count, mimicking the concussed state of her life-altering experience. What some may find inexpressible is viewed clearly through Jamieson’s critical lens. In her poem, “Sex Wave Moon Nest,” she assertively includes the line, “people forget that what they can’t see exists / I remind them that I’m (still) sick.”
Through uncomplicated language, she cuts straight to the point, holding the reader responsible for the feelings that emerge. She’s not here to follow the rules or common structures. It’s evident she wrote this authentically for her and for those that will understand.
As someone who’s dealt with their own invisible illness, Kyla’s words embody an unspeakable self-awareness that deeply resonated with me. Regardless of your experience, this read will undoubtedly pull on your heartstrings. Maybe you will feel seen in a way you’ve never had the opportunity to be seen before.
Body Count (Harbour Publishing) is Kyla’s debut poetry collection, following her chapbook, Kind of Animal (Rahila’s Ghost Press). Kyla was formerly SAD Magazine’s Poetry & Prose Editor, making it a special pleasure to hold her published book in our hands.
Kyla Jamieson’s work has appeared in Poetry is Dead, Room Magazine, ELLE Canada, VICE, GUTS, Peach Mag, the Maynard and Plenitude. She was also long-listed for the 2019 CBC Poetry Prize and placed third in the 2018 Metatron Prize for Rising Authors.