Poetry Jam on St. John Offers Laughter as Medicine for Troubled Times

On Saturday, Jan. 31, the monthly poetry jam Rhyme & Lime will host a special evening titled “Laugh To Keep From Crying” at Bajo el Sol Gallery in Mongoose Junction on St. John.

The event, which runs from 7 – 9 p.m., aims to blend humor, release, and hope through poetry and music, responding to the recent period of global instability and personal transitions.

Founded in 2019 by Jamaica Hamilton and later hosted by Raven Phillips in 2021, Rhyme & Lime has become a staple of St. John’s creative community since its inception as a small poets’ gathering. Phillips shared that the night’s theme was born from the collective experience of “major life changes and the global political instability we all experienced from 2025 into the start of 2026.”

“The theme isn’t a means to ignore what has happened. It is an invitation to make room for joy, reclaim power, and bond through laughter. In an uncertain world and life, sometimes you have to stop and laugh, because you truly can’t make some of these things up,” Phillips said.