An Ode to Poetry: A Poem on Healing, Disability, Mental Health, and the Transformative Power of Art

To close out the first podcast season, it feels only fitting to end with a poem.

In this episode, Kalyce Carter (Accessibility Coordinator, Xenia Concerts)  has the honour of sharing the work of Mabe Kyle, an incredibly talented, poignant, and impactful poet who has graciously written a piece that speaks to the deeply personal yet widely shared experience of art as a tool for healing.

This poem creates a powerful and sensorial reflection on the experiences of many disabled folks by exploring grief, pain, community, art, and healing. Through their writing, Mabe beautifully speaks to the realities of disabled experiences while also grounding listeners in the transformative power of creativity and poetry.

Kalyce has returned to this poem many times, and each time they are struck by the way Mabe holds space for the complexity of disability: the hardships we navigate, the communities that sustain us, and the art that carries us through.

As a disabled artist, this is a poem Kalyce knows they will continue returning to, and they hope it becomes a piece that stays with listeners as well.

This poem rounds out the season with a powerful reminder that accessibility work is ultimately about people: honouring the lives, experiences, creativity, and humanity of disabled people and the wider communities we build together.

Thank you, Mabe, for sharing your beautiful work and for reminding us and grounding us in the power of poetry, storytelling, and art.

Poem

An Ode to Poetry: A Poem on Healing, Disability, Mental Health, and the Transformative Power of Art

Transcripts for all episodes

Transcription for ACCA Podcasts.pdf

Image description:

Bright pink graphic with a large white Xenia logo extending down the right side. Text introduces The Accessibility Accelerator Podcast, Episode 3, “An Ode to Poetry: A Poem on Healing, Disability, Mental Health, and the Transformative Power of Art” featuring guest Amina.