“People don’t talk about the social issues, the difficulties in relationships. I feel I needed to fill that gap in poetry.”

Jaesyn Burn is a talented poet and anime aficionado. Despite suffering injuries in a car accident that left him a quadriplegic, Jaesyn continues to create. His friend and fellow artist Kin Loch says Jaesyn was “up next” before the accident, which occurred in August of 2017.

That was the day the world stopped turning for Jaesyn. “Some people say it is a blessing I am still here,” he noted. “They say there’s some higher purpose for me. I don’t know about all of that.”

Borne from the union of necessity and talent, Jaesyn continues to write poetry about difficult experiences in his life. “Really, it is cathartic to his mental health, this outpouring of emotions that he does through his poetry,” Nick, the music therapist at Vibra Hospital of Charleston stated. “He really lays bare the emotional part of his life experiences for everyone to see.”

Jaesyn started his poetic career in 90’s Charleston. “I started open mics in Charleston. I went and did that and my friend said ‘let’s set up a showcase for your talent.’ I really didn’t believe him at first, this appreciation for my art,” Jaesyn said.

Before the showcase could take place, Jaesyn was involved in the aforementioned car accident. “My world stopped turning that day., Jaesyn recalled. “I couldn’t do anything that I had done before. I felt stuck.”

Admitted to Vibra for wound care, Jaesyn’s focus was on healing. It was a great surprise for him to be able to put his poetry in a track. “Jaesyn is a very relaxed character,” Nick stated. “When I was getting to know him he clued me in on his poetry. I offered to record a piece for him and the light went on in his eyes.”

Over two months Jaesyn and Nick met, sometimes to record Jaesyn’s poetry and sometimes just to listen and appreciate music. “There were a lot of factors that went into the recording session that you would not normally have, such as bed noise, posture and ambient noise,” Nick stated. “Some days it seemed like the world just didn’t want us to record.”

Jaesyn finished his piece, “A Hedgehog’s Dilemma,” just a week before he discharged from Vibra. “I’m really happy with how it turned out,” Jaesyn stated. With a successful track under his belt and a healed wound, Jaesyn transferred out to his next place of care. He asked that “everyone take a listen [to my poetry]. It has spoken to me, maybe it will speak to you.”