Jawn Van Jacobs

startin from snake-shaped Jersey,  

where i was raised in the art 

of dealing, unlike 

 

my old man who peddled 

opioids, i instead  

push prosody.  

 

i weigh each verse, 

put a little extra  

rhythm in for my regulars.  

 

some need it to forget, 

some need it to remember,  

some don’t even need  

 

an upper or downer,  

they just need a few lines  

to get by, so i  

 

stash it in dime bags 

to exchange it  

underneath the shoefiti.  

 

give the market  

a more permanent prescription 

than Percocet and Oxy.

 

About the Author

Jawn Van Jacobs is a South Jersey poet, currently in his last semester of Rowan University's MA in Writing program. Jawn’s work delves into the raw and untamed narratives of outlaws, illuminating the lives and perspectives of those living on the outskirts of society.