Buffy at Buffy Silverman is hosting this week where it's been a soggy spring.
I participated in The Stafford Challenge in 2025 and am continuing this year. Last fall we were asked to submit a poem for their anthology. I submitted my poem response to a prompt from Laura Shovan's yearly February Poetry Project. It was based on an article, "8 Mind Blowing Fact about the Big Bang" Turns out, I rather like writing surreal poetry with interesting images. The anthology chose not to align the poem to the right.
Searching at the Edges
Searching the edge of the known universe… -from 8 Mind-blowing Facts About the Big Ban It’s midnight and I’m searching, searching in your letters for the last words you wrote on the edge of a dream. We were in the middle of dancing in the garden. The | beets syncopated to our tapping feet, known as a cure for heartbreak in the outer realms of the universe. Jone Rush MacCulloch Save the Date
Join me Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 11 AM (EST) for a Poetry Pop Up Salon celebrating summer. If you can join me, please let me know in the comments.
Thankful for the Love
Tilt has been out for two months and I am humbled and honored at the love that has been shown for my love project.
It's been reaffirming to hear that readers have connected with the book. I have reconnected with former students and I am continuing to learn from the writing to it. One thing I discovered was the Northwest Independent Writer's Association (NIWA). It's been a great way to get Tilt in the world at festivals. They recently interviewed me and I'll include it below. I appreciate those who have taken the time to leave a review and also share their love of the book with our Poetry Friday community.
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Heidi at my juicy little universe is hosting this week. I'm happy to say that she's has an informative video, "We Teach Poetry". She invited Margaret Simon and me to share our thoughts. It was a lively discussion. Happy Book Birthday! Tilt is in the world. It's here. In the world. Twenty years of work with the bulk of it done these last five years after I retired. Born out of tragedy that impacted the lives of many, I have made good on a promise made to fifth graders who lost their classmate in second grade. The hard cover and Kindle are available now. The soft cover will be available April 18th. On Saturday, April 25, I'll launch the book. It means so much to me to have this debut book finally out. My Poem from the Pop-Up Poetry Salon, April 11th.
2026 Midterm Videos from Texas Women's UniversityThe midterms from my TWU students are finished and I'll be sharing them over the next few weeks. The poems are made available from Heidi Bee Roemer and STEAM Powered Poetry Contest. I highly encourage the students to submit to the contest. My Shadow video by Carrie Brown Welcome to the Science Lab video by Jennifer Davman Wash You Hands video by Danette Diaz Moon Faces and Phases by Sallie Wolf, video by Talia Sifuentes Farmer’s Market by Heidi Bee Roemer, video by Katherine Sullivan Mew for Milk by Heidi Bee Roemer, video by Zayde Ortiz 2026 Kidlit Progressive Poem Tabatha Yeats started us off not only with a first line, but also with a beautiful map. People have added place names to the map.
April 1 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference April 2 Cathy Stenquist at A Little Bit of This and That April 3 Patricia Franz at Reverie April 4 Donna Smith at Mainely Write April 5 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse April 6 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care April 7 Ruth Hersey at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town April 8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities April 9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche April 10 Janet Clare Fagel at Reflections on the Teche April 11 Diane Davis at Starting Again in Poetry April 12 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance April 13 Linda Mitchell at Another Word Edgewise April 14 Jone MacCulloch at Jone Rush MacCulloch April 15 Joyce Uglow at Storied Ink April 16 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link April 17 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge April 18 Michele Kogan at More Art for All April 19 Kim Johnson at Common Threads April 20 Buffy Silverman April 21 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem April 22 Karen Edmisten April 23 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe April 24 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading April 25 Tanita Davis at Fiction, instead of Lies April 26 Sharon Roy at Pedaling Poet April 27 Tracey Kiff-Judson at Tangles and Tails Also, there are still 3 days left to participate. If we don’t fill those last three days, we will end the poem on April 27th. The Land of Poetry On my first trip to the Land of Poetry, I saw anthologies of every color, tall as buildings. A world of words, wonder on wings, waiting just for me! Birding for words shimmering, flecked in golden gilding. Binoculars ready, I toured boulevards and side streets exploring vibrant verses, verses so honest and tender, feathery lyrics, bright flitting avian athletes soaring ‘cross pages in rhythmic splendor. In the Land of Poetry, I am the conductor. the trees quiver, the audience looks up. Raven lands, singing Earth's message of the sage. "Poetry" Poetry in motion will be forevermore, from forests to sands." Visit Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge Friday, April 17, to see where Robyn takes us.. Welcome to Poetry Friday. Tanita at {fiction, instead of lies} is hosting this week. I have some of my daily haiku this week to share amid a couple of announcements. Mar 12 line by line ruler in hand, find small errors © jone rush macculloch, 2026 Mar 13 only unlucky thing wind and rain Friday the thirteenth © jone rush macculloch, 2026 Mar 14 the ocean tide goes on forever Pi day © jone rush macculloch, 2026 Mar 16 tide watching negative ions wash over peace comes from writing words flow with the tide © jone rush macculloch, 2026 Sneak Peek Were you a reader of Sylvia Vardell's Yearly Sneak Peek List? Here's the one for 2026. Were you aware that 2026 is the last Sneak Peek List from her? Jena Benton Lasley and I would like to create a small group to continue this amazing tradition, Would you be interested in becoming a poetry scout and help with creating a list for 2027? It is mainly having eyes and ears as to what is coming out in the poetry world in 2027. If so, please fill out this form (Name and Email). We'll be in contact with you. Save the DateThe next Poetry Pop-Up Writing Salon will be on Saturday, April 11, 2026. It will be at 11 AM EST.
It's going to be a busy weekend for me as I am hosting on Friday, April 10. Perfect way to celebrity National Poetry Month.  Linda at TeacherDance has a lovely haiga for us today as she hosts Poetry Friday. Were you a reader of Sylvia Vardell's Yearly Sneak Peek List? Here's the one for 2026. Were you aware that 2026 is the last Sneak Peek List from her? Jena Benton Lasley and I would like to create a small group to continue this amazing tradition, Would you be interested in becoming a poetry scout and help with creating a list for 2027? It is mainly having eyes and ears as to what is coming out in the poetry world in 2027. If so, please fill out this form (Name and Email). We'll be in contact with you. Save the DateThe next Poetry Pop-Up Writing Salon will be on Saturday, April 11, 2026. It will be at 11 AM EST. It's going to be a busy weekend for me as I am hosting on Friday, April 10. Perfect way to celebrity National Poetry Month. My life has been tinkering and working on Tilt. This weekend my brother turns 70. I can't believe five years ago I wrote this poem to celebrate him
I Never Regretted Not Having a Sister Sixty-five year ago, I informed our grandmother about babies. Showed her Mom’s nursing book. Clearly a stork was not involved. Right after that Mom and Dad brought Jon Robert home. Not the cowboy I was expecting, A pink, wiggly creature who made a lot of noise. We negotiated a peace but when on road trips foot fights reigned supreme in the backseat. Summer of ‘61, our grandmother sat between us across the US. I pestered and threatened his blue bellied lizards, captured and maintained in an old coffee can. Squirted lotion on me just before school. Parents showed no sympathy. Summers were adventures in the park, a mud-quick-sand sinking, me defending him by punching the next door neighbor boy. He carried my violin case and spied on my boyfriends. I left for college, left my only brother behind. Had our own paths to follow. Stayed in the northwest. Jon was there for the first marriage, when we had to clear pot smoke before the parents arrived. He was there when the marriage ended and I needed an ear. Worked his way up in Rocketdyne from custodian to a travelling consultant. Jon has incredible knack of reinvention so when the consulting days ended, he went to massage school, graduate with honors, (Something he did better than me). And then life took another turn, retiring-ish to the Oregon Coast. Paths have criss-crossed, parents are gone. We are the head of clan, eligible for Medicare. Brother, I love you. © jone rush macculloch, 2021 draft Still holds true five years later. Welcome to the last Poetry Friday of 2025. Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect. She's sharing a poetry sister's challenge of writing on the theme of peace, light, or hope. To read the poem inspired by thinking of her mom, head there. In December for my Daily Haiku practice, I tried to incorporate those themes. Dec. 3 day begins in the bird's song-- quiet hope all aglow Jone Rush MacCulloch, 2025 Dec. 9 atmospheric river rainy sheets inside— fire, books, peace Jone Rush MacCulloch, 2025 Dec. 14 sandy hook never forgotten lives cut short light a candle write a poem Jone Rush MacCulloch, 2025  My 2025 OLW was DREAM. It served me well. I dreamt about possibilities and acted on them. One significant action was to abandon pursuing a Highlights Foundation Scholarship to instead, hire, Cordelia Jensen to coach and provide feedback on my almost ready to publish novel in verse. I had taken classes from her via Highlights in the past. Her feedback enabled me to get to the stage I'm at currently; working through copy edits. Dream had me pursuing contests and submissions along with showing my photography and art in two places this year. It's been a fabulous word. Next week, I will reveal my 2026 OLW which honestly started tagging along with DREAM about five months ago. Winter Poetry Pop-Up Salon: January 10, 2026 11AM-12 PM ESTCome and let's write together in community on Saturday, January 10. Sign up HERE.
 Heidi at my juicy little universe is hosting this week and is sharing poetry news. Last Saturday morning I hosted a Poetry Pop-Up Salon for poets to gather and write for a short amount of time. It's a great way to generate a wee amount of work and just noodle with poetry plus the bonus of being in community. Today I'm sharing my very rough drafts from the two invitation prompts I used: harvest and the phrase soaked with the moon from "Jack and the Moon" in Marie Howe's latest book, New and Selected Poems. We typically write for about 20 minutes and share. It is so interesting to see how each writer uses the prompt.  My doodly and scribbly writing in my notebook. Prompt: Harvest-FIre-Key When the moon is full Harvest begins At night, the sneaps, the turnips, are at their fullest Gran tell me it’s key for the highest nutrients At home, a kettle boils water over the wood fire Plop, plop, plop, Tiny moons into the pot When the moon is full Harvest begins ©jone rush macculloch, draft 2025 For the following prompt, I love playing with golden shovels. Of late, I've been thinking about time, time folding, and time travel. Thus the following draft, a triple golden shovel. Prompt: soaked with the moon from "Jack and the Moon" I. On the mesa, a woman soaked her clothing in a wooden tub with Sage and mugwort. The tincture for solving disputes on a full moon II. Midnight tides soaked us, drenched us with seaweed strands. We wore them like the selkies and danced under the full moon III. Time particles soaked with filaments of sandstone and sea salt. The Amalgamation of time travel under the full moon ©jone rush macculloch, draft 2025 OUESTION:
Would you be more likely to join a Poetry Pop Up on a weeknight for an hour-ish time to write and talk? Or are Saturday mornings better? Or does it matter? Jane at Raincity Librarian is hosting the wonderful community of poets and creatives. She has accomplished leaving links and I commend her. Technology is so useful and yet can be a challenge. I will try my very best to comment, I'm heading to the coast with family until Tuesday.  I had an opportunity to try another of the poem prompts from Tricia's summer swap. This is a lipogram. I wrote without including words that had A or I. Recently, I’ve had two resident woodpeckers return to my suet blocks. red top knots downey woodpeckers peck-peck-peck suet seed before the sun melts the block bug puddle (C) jone rush macculloch, draft, 2025 Pop-Up Poetry Salon, Saturday, August 9, 2025If you would like to sign-up for the Pop-Up Poetry Salon on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 11 AM EST, please leave your info HERE.
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AuthorAll photos and poems in these blog posts are copyrighted to Jone Rush MacCulloch 2006- Present. Please do not copy, reprint or reproduce without written permission from me. 
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