Working to always give my best and to leave your day a little brighter than before you came.
Hello WriteRiders!
This is the place where I share more poetry, IG posts, live events, interviews, podcast recordings, contests, humanitarian endeavors, book releases and inspirational merch. There will be tips on writing, marketing & publishing your works in the future, so keep an eye out for that section or follow my blog to stay up to date.
Thank you for coming in and welcome to the official JV Nation!
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XOXO,
If through my words, poems, books, merchandise, podcast, posts and events, I can bestow upon you some uplift, some inspiration, some motivation, some encouragement, some warmth, some empathy, some appreciation, some courage, some empowerment or some conviction and / or faith, do you know that you are the one who has gifted me to journey further in my purpose? And for that, I am eternally grateful. ~JV
The Poetry Lab
Ever want to swim under the ocean? }}}
Writing off the cuff by inspiration...
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You ain't right if you don't write and bring to life thoughts in the night.
It ain't cool to ignore the rules or neglect the tools that you learned in school.
Jess
Vaughn
Writes
Develop Your Skills, Follow Your Passion.
Write your own story...
It's not just a side hustle,
it's breath and life.
Broken, Heart (an excerpt)
Heart, you've been through some things that may have had you off your game for a while.
And you may have second-guessed yourself - fully accepting when they called you
treacherous - because truth be told, you're a realist;
and from the burns you suffered, having been deceived a time or two,
nobody's gonna knock you for being jaded.
But, hear me clearly when I say this: You are not broken, Heart.
You have been fired & refined and waxed poetically until you've shined.
You have been opened up and filled with so much love until it spilled.
Yes, your emotions have overflowed, but you've radiated joy until you've glowed.
You are not broken, Heart.
No, not you.
~ c.9/17/23 Adrienne Ijioma
This Is How I See You (tbc)
You are a bouquet
of fresh cut roses
on elegant display,
in a vase -
ornate and crystal clear -
blush with orchids and
calla lilies wrapped in
a coat of green fern
and status.
This is how I see you.
Venom
Words
slither out
and fall down
licking around in dark,
dusty corners of your heart
where love once abided but now
only echoes reside.
Hollow
sounds that
rattle like serpents.
These sweet nothings
once smooth pillow talk
became cold-blooded nothings, empty words,
changed to poison by the venom
that you spit...
Seek out & discover new poets! Support poets by purchasing their works. Suggest new poetry events to your local library. Join a poetry or spoken word group. Get involved with the Academy of American Poets by signing up to receive a Poem-a-Day in your inbox.
Imagine standing in your joy,
radiant smile, eyes open wide
when girl meets boy
and sparks fly
with purest intention,
nothing to hide.
After much prayer and planning,
the day is here;
then all heads turn
as you appear.
Eyes lock and the crowd disappears,
hearts race as distance comes near.
Him with tears in his eyes,
and you with butterflies;
two words exchanged
and not a single dry eye.
Wedding Day
causing fear
and rage and delirium
because, yes, I must be crazy
to keep accepting these strikes.
Toxic stings,
and like Eve desiring forbidden fruit
allowing herself to be seduced,
I misread the signs and thought
"Danger!" was "Safe," like you were my antidote -
Recalling those Hershey kisses
on your back shaped like diamonds,
turned out to be markings: copperhead,
meant to kill, left me for dead.
Yeah, this boa constricting my breathing
up and down, back and forth,
had me confused, used and abused
by the dream versus the reality.
Now it's all clear to me.
I was poisoned, squeezed,
knocked to my knees, an-a-conda think
by this love coursing through my veins,
injected then rejected,
never to be the same.
c.2024 JVW
Here are some ways to support local poets: Attend poetry events. Libraries, colleges, & other organizations often host poetry readings, workshops, and open mic nights.
Currently Under Construction : Themed Gifts - ESCAPE Boxes. This is an effort very close to my heart to make a positive impact in local and hopefully, global society - especially among woman and girls. More to come on that as the area of business develops. But, for now, feel free to click on the gift box link above to find out more about it or click on Gifts & Greetings under the BOUTIQUE tab in the menu to check out the page and get on board to support the endeavor. Happily accepting modest donations to kickstart goals!
Your contribution to the E.S.C.A.P.E. box project as gifts of compassion is very much appreciated!
Support and Share the INDIEGOGO campaign here.
A Little Listen to our Poetry Tracks
A Sneak Peek at What's In Our Shop
There may be no better way to communicate what we do than through images. As you browse our site, take a few moments to let your eyes linger here, and see if you can get a feel for our signature touch: creativity, motivation and compassion
