HEAVEN, The After Party

Jimi Sheryl Bufkin, born Jimmie Shirl Harrison, in Fort Worth, Texas, has been writing poetry since the third grade. Jimi has resided in the Reno/Sparks, Nevada, area for over forty-six years. She is the mother of two daughters and three grandsons. Jimi’s poetry writing started with letters to God. She never shared her poetry with others until Connie Davis-Myles, a friend, let her read “I know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou. She was so inspired that she compiled a collection of her works and decided to publish her own book by the age of thirty. At age sixty-two, she has now self-published her sixth book. Jimi’s love affair with words and the color purple has made her one of Reno’s recognizable poets. She has recited in schools in Washoe County, the Veteran’s Hospital in Reno, the University of Nevada-Reno, as well as for private banquets and organizations. She has also taught poetry workshops. She writes about homelessness, love not found, loneliness, and love for her fellow human beings. She hopes to leave a legacy with her poetry. She donates a copy of her publications to local libraries; she wants everyone to be able to savor the message in her work. She writes on a regular basis. She feels it is an outlet for stress. Her way of giving back something to the world is devoting her life to the future, our young people. One of the highlights of her life was opening for Maya Angelou in 1994 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada, for a crowd of over thirty-two hundred people.