Blurring the line between page and stage.
By Ashley “Ms. AyeVee” Vargas
Poetry has always been my safe haven. Handwritten poetry journals filled cover to cover lined many of my bookshelves, but behind my cursive lines I secretly dreamed of seeing my words printed in bold ink on smooth pages.
In 2016, my poems were given a new life in the world of Spoken Word and Open Mics. Eventually, I found myself at my first poetry competition. At the time I had no idea what a Poetry Slam was or that I would go on to be the first poet to represent Las Vegas in the International World Poetry Slam, only one year later. It didn’t take long for me to become aware that poets were unceremoniously being grouped into two seemingly separate categories, ‘Slam Poet’ and ‘Page Poet.’ Although these terms are not inherently derogatory, I found that ‘Slam Poet’ was used in many academic cycles as a way to invalidate a writer’s credibility for publication or even participation in certain events. This realization only fueled my desire to shatter the misconception that poetry can only live in one category at a time.
In 2017, I not only competed in my first international poetry slam, I was also published for the first time. I take tremendous pride in my poetry slam foundation and becoming a published author has expanded my love for the literary arts in ways I could have never anticipated. My mission has always been to share my love for poetry with my community and to give other poets the opportunities that may otherwise not be so easily afforded to them.
In early March of 2020, I founded a new poetry slam that was about to take center stage in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas. Beyond the Neon Poetry Slam was days away from its opening competition when the city was shut down for mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19. Suddenly the bright lights of Las Vegas had gone dark, and the entertainment capital of the world banned all live performances. No one knew what would happen next or if things would ever return to how they once were. It was at this crossroads that I decided to take Beyond the Neon (BTN) online and created a new digital poetry competition exclusively on Instagram.
During BTN’s 2020 season poets from all over the country tuned in to watch and participate in the newest Poetry Slam scene. Its winners hailed from Atlanta, Georgia; San Diego, California; New York City; Salt Lake City, Utah; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Blurring the lines between page and stage, the forthcoming, Beyond the Neon Anthology exclusively features poets from BTN’s successful first season. Curating this collection has been a tremendous honor, and I am so grateful to Zeitgeist Press for the opportunity to see my vision come to life.
Slighted for a late April release, I invite you to read the work of these incredible Poets and allow yourself to expand your own perceptions of what makes a poet, a poet.
Six
By Ms. AyeVee
(as featured in the forthcoming anthology, Beyond the Neon Anthology Vol. 1)
They asked,
"What are your thoughts on marriage?"
My stomach dropped.
Butterflies turned Rock Bottom.
An echo of a Feeling.
The ghost of a million memories.
A barren desert suddenly
flash flood of phantom water.
Unexpected.
Even after all this time
it never loses its potency.
Like a sleeping poison
still coursing through my veins.
Him.
Everything & nothing.
A face tattooed on the back of my eyelids.
I could still describe every feature.
All past no future.
My heart laughs at the irony.
Knowing time is nothing.
A creation.
Yet still,
I carry him to the present.
Still, spit up blood from our last altercation.
Years of stagnation.
I would cry but I have no more tears,
For him.
He-who-must-not-be-named.
Only a void I keep trying to fill.
Only a fading scar from a ring
that never quite fit right.
Only invisible wounds I keep trying to heal.
They asked,
"What are your thoughts on marriage?"
I said,
"A dream & nightmare."
Double Down Blogger image credit/Ashley Vargas.
Ashley Vargas, also known by her stage name Ms. AyeVee, is a Las Vegas native who garnered popularity through her raw storytelling and poetry. Her work has been published by Zeitgeist Press, Red Rock Review, Nevada Humanities, The Review-Journal, and the Nevada Arts Council, to name a few. She also curates poetry workshops, events and features for Poetry Promise, Inc, Nevada Humanities, and the City of Henderson. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, she founded Beyond the Neon Poetry Slam.
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