
libra
POET ~ PERFORMER ~ HOST ~ AUTHOR
Greetings! I am Libra... but my mama named me Janine.
Poetry has always been at the heart of who I am. Many in the poetry community know me as "Lady J," a poet and performer. If you are from or have visited the Cincinnati, Ohio area, you probably know that I have also had the joy of co-hosting SpokenWordSoul, where poetry, music and spirit come together and uplift the soul. It was one of Cincinnati's longest- open mic experiences.
Creativity has taken me on quite a journey. I've sung with cover bands, appeared in stage plays, acted in local television series and films, and spent several years fronting my own band, Shades of J – an amalgamation of original jazz, funk and RnB layered underneath thought-provoking poetry.
Although I consider myself slightly introverted, I have always been drawn to connections through sharing pieces of my journey in front of people. These days, that journey has led me to my latest adventure that’s been calling me for quite some time: writing and publishing as Libra the Author.
Whether I'm sharing a poem, performing on stage, or writing in my pajama’s from my living room, it all comes from a divine place. My goal remains the same… connect, inspire, and leave souls with the same healing I need.
And yes... call me Libra, Lady J, Janine, (or my childhood fav, “NeNe”). I'll answer to all four. Contrary to having four names, I am a simple spirit in this human experience who loves sharing stories that uplift, and speak to the soul.
Welcome to the many Shades of J!
New Book Alert!
A Vessel's Melody is Available Now!
Where does one place the expansive variety of excess emotions resulting from of a life filled with spirit-shaking grief; navigating depression; fractured relationships; the never-ending questions about our existence; and the sheer weight of life… life’n?
In this book, of course!
A Vessel's Melody is a poetic journey that explores these truths through poetry inspired by lived experience and divine guidance. Drawing from all of those things that tend to block the path to realizing our purpose, this collection speaks to anyone who has questioned life, struggled to heal, or sought something greater than themselves. A Vessel’s Melody offers an honest look at the challenges, lessons and resilience that connect us all.
You are not here by happenstance...
there is a chance you will be moved.
The Trouble With Socks released May 2, 2020 now available on www.Amazon.com
The Trouble With Socks is a collection of poetry exploring the curious similarities between relationships and missing socks. You know the ones: somehow they go into the wash together but emerge from the dryer mysteriously separated, leaving you to wonder what happened in between.
Through this playful yet poignant metaphor, the collection traces the author's relationship journey, examining how life experiences shaped the people she loved and the choices she made. What begins with the innocence, excitement, and awkward beauty of love gradually unravels into self-doubt, unhealthy attachments, and experiences of verbal and physical abuse before ultimately finding its way back through introspection, resilience, and healing.
Written primarily in free verse, the poems embrace creative freedom while capturing moments that are both deeply personal and universally recognizable. Each chapter opens with a brief biographical narrative, providing context for the poems that follow and inviting readers further into the story behind the socks.
Much like entries pulled from a journal, the poems begin with diary-style introductions that include when they were written, the emotions that inspired them, and occasionally the person who may have unknowingly earned a starring role.
Not exactly a whodunit, though there are certainly the usual suspects. You are invited into the darkest, dustiest corners of the author's relationship closet, where the missing and mismatched socks of love, heartbreak and self-discovery have been hiding all along.
GALLERY
LATEST NEWS & CURRENT EVENTS
The reviews are in!
"The Trouble With Socks" is making its way into people's mailboxes and hearts!
I appreciate the support
of so many!
Books available on Amazon!
May all of your socks be trouble-free!











