Today all the poetry treasures can be found at Linda at A Word Edgewise.
Today I am sharing a Zentangle Poem Challenge that the Poetry Sisters have offered for June, that's to Tricia for the informations  It is a challenge for sure: finding the great page for a blackout poem, finding the words that connect into some poetic thought.  The fun is the Zentangle part of the project. This post by Kat Apel explains Zentangle and Erasure poetry.

   Library Look

Library school remembers
wood-paneled walls
the wooden draws
with
handwritten index cards
the pencils
rubber date stamps
the staccato creak 
of 
fans
their faces smell the rain
visitors
in 
the children's room
far from the hushed center
veered into quiet.
Many
catching up
on their sleep
searching
succor 

~Jone Rush MacCulloch

Welcome to Poetry Friday.  We are so close to half way through the year.  Does anyone know how to slow down time? This week Buffy at Buffy Silverman is sharing observations and thoughts about spring time.  I love her photos and what she has cerated with the word 'time'.

Summer means swapping poetry with others.  This past week, I had poetry mail from Tabatha. She has a teaser in her post for Mary Lee a couple weeks ago. Blessings. They are rather fun to write.  This blessing from Tabatha speaks to anyone cultivating words. Yesterday I started collecting the poems that have lived on my blogs since 2006 and it indeed felt like I was a standing in a poem garden,

A blessing for those who cultivate words
by Tabatha Yeatts 
for Jone
 
May the sun find your seeds 
and rain settle on your sprouts 
and may you pick the weeds
of distraction and fear 
from around your precious seedlings.
 
May you invite birds to sing 
on your branches, bees to 
circle your blossoms, and 
praying mantises to stoutly 
guard your growth.
 
May your fingers be nimble
as you stand before rows of bushes,
ripe with the fruit of your imagination.
 
May your feet tread 
gently but firmly as you walk 
the dirt paths between these overflowing bushes,
​holding your words in your hands, 
your pockets, and cradled 
in the bottom of your shirt.
 
May you find the few you need
on the sparse bush that holds words
for hard times, for times when silence
and togetherness
are most necessary.
 
May you stand before 
the one you never 
thought would bear fruit 
and feel the joyous
bewilderment 
of seeing more than you can hold.

My response:
seeds of sprouts
nimble with imagination-
your blossoms

walk dirty paths
hold words in silence
feel joyous

~jone rush macculloch, 2021 draft

Welcome to Poetry Friday.  It is being hosted by Carol at Carol's Corner.  She's introducing us to poet, Jeannette Encinias.  
I was clearing out an old computer and discovered the following poem.  I am not exactly sure of the date it was written but I suspect in 2008 or 2009. I don't really remember writing it. I decided to revise it for sharing today.
​UPDATE:  Apparently the original poem was in this post in 2010.

Just Two Kids
just two kids, sister and brother
who played hide n’ seek
as we rambled down the street
me afraid of quicksand, you collected blue bellied lizards.

played hide n’ seek
until dusk’s blanket hid us all
me afraid of quicksand, you collected blue bellied lizards
I escaped inside a book while you looked through a telescope

 until dusk’s blanket hid us all
nightly routines: dishes, homework, practice the violin
I escaped inside a book while you looked through a telescope
parents sat at the kitchen table, drinks in hand
​
nightly routines: dishes, homework, practice the violin
television droned on and on, with the body counts
parents sat at the kitchen table, drinks in hand
I plotted my escape to college

television droned on and on, with the body counts
as we rambled down the street
I plotted my escape to college
just two kids, sister and brother

©jone rush macculloch, draft 2008, 2009?

Just Two Kids

just two kids, sister and brother
who played hide n’ seek and rambled down the street
orange blossoms permeated the air
one afraid of quicksand, the other collected blue bellied lizards.

who played hide n’ seek and rambled down the street
until dusk’s blanket hid us all
one afraid of quicksand, the other collected blue bellied lizards.
one escaped inside a book while the other looked through a telescope

until dusk’s blanket hid us all
nightly routines: dishes, homework, practice the violin
one escaped inside a book while the other looked through a telescope
parents sat at the kitchen table table , drinks in hand

nightly routines: dishes, homework, practice the violin
television droned on and on, with the body counts
parents sat at the kitchen table, drinks in hand
one plotted an escape to college, the other joined the service

television droned on and on, with the body counts
orange blossoms permeated the air
one plotted an escape to college, the other joined the service
just two kids, sister and brother

©jone rush macculloch, revised-probably still a draft, 2021