VEX BOMB 002

ISSUE 002

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VEX BOMB

Poems from the Ventnor Exchange Spoken Word Collective

April 2025 Hello Friends, Welcome back, how have you been? We’re really excited to bring you the second ever issue of VEX BOMB, featuring new names, old poems, borrowed metaphors but alas nothing blue.

Since our last issue, our members have built a world with an artist, revived SPEAKEASY and started working on VEX’s 2025 Ventnor Fringe Show.

It’s going to be a busy year for VEX, we can’t wait to show you what we have in store for the rest of the year.

Thanks for supporting our little zine. Every donation helps!

TTFN

🌸

Ben & Cody VEX BOMB Editors

CAPILLARIES THE MIRROR OF ME, DANCING ROUND TREES, TOES SINKING GROOVES IN MOSSY CAPILLARIES LICHEN BURDENED BY FINGERTIPS GRASPING, FOLLICLES CONTRACT WITH EACH SUNBEAM PASSING. THE MIRROR OF ME, NEGOTIATE ITS RELEASE FROM BELOW THESE EARTHLY CANOPIES NAKEDLY, DELICATELY, BENEATH THE CANOPY. BENEATH THE CANOPY WHERE I SINK MY PALM INTO THE SEA. OF WARM CRIMSON RUSH THROUGH MY CAPILLARIES

BEN MURRAY-HOMES

BURN The morning you left I heard the sun burning and it warmed my bamboo bench and I heard it creak in the glow. And I heard my earl grey sip, slip into oesophagus, intestine, curdle in my blood and come to rest in my bladder. I heard my sniff before I sniffed it. Heard the left-hand side of the bed rise up and rest in its aloneness. Heard my tongue licking at the corners of my mouth for a taste of salt amidst the oat milk sweet, amidst the butter crumbs. Heard the central heating, sneaking round the house with an apology.

Heard my hanging shirts crisp up dry on the rack in the back room. Heard the moment that the watered fern now needed watering. Heard my ears ringing, ringing, listening for the one thing they could not hear.

When you left, I heard the sun fucking burn.

CODY PEVREALL

David Jowitt

Thunder I confess, I have cherished thunder for eons.

Thunder is part of my strategy For universe domination.

For universe domination Thunder is part of my strategy.

Thunder is the company I keep when feeling Like I’m staring Down the barrel of a gun, And I cannot see the creep On the other side of the excuse.

On the other side of the excuse I cannot see the creep.

Down the barrel of a gun I am staring, Keeping the company Of thunder.

This is part of my strategy For universe domination.

I have cherished thunder for eons, I confess.

Andrew Butcher

VEX, The Ventnor Exchange Spoken Word Collective, meets fortnightly on Thursdays at 7:30-9:30pm starting on 2nd January 2025.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @vexspokenword or email us on vexspokenword@gmail.com