Jone Rush MacCulloch
  • Blog
  • About
  • Poetry Friday Details and Hosts
  • Children's Books
  • Journals and Chapbooks
  • Mixed Media Art and Photography
  • Blog
  • About
  • Poetry Friday Details and Hosts
  • Children's Books
  • Journals and Chapbooks
  • Mixed Media Art and Photography

Spiritual Journey Thursday and Poetry Friday, Week 30: Turning

8/3/2023

 
​I read Linda’s post for Spiritual Journey Thursday. I  was filled with gratitude that she used the song "Tis A Gift To Be Simple" by Joseph Brackett. It’s one of my favorites. 

Mary Lee at 
A(nother) Year of Reading is hosting  Poetry Friday and sharing a beautiful textile piece along with a poem. She has been reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and I am reminded that book needs to come with me on a roadtrip.
I’ve just returned from four days at the coast with daughter, grandgirl, husband, and husband’s former wife.  A tradition that is almost twenty years old.
​

Some of the questions that the 18 YO was asking made me think of ‘turning’; the turning of the seasons, the turning of our lives. Oldest grand has graduated and I am watching her enter adulthood with curiosity. She wanted to know about the “family member “cut off date” (translated how long everyone had lived) and whether she’d have access to the house we have rented all her life when we are no longer able to rent it. These questions show me the importance to her of traditions. It delights me that as the pages are turning in her life story (as are they in ours), that she holds some things close to her soul.

I am into writing Golden Shovels for the summer poetry swap this year and thus I took a line from 
"Tis A Gift To Be Simple"​.
Picture

To turn, turn, turn will be our delight.
Tis A Gift To Be Simple by  Joseph Brackett


Criss-cross logs ready to
light the match to turn
the stack into fiery flames. The sun turns
a page by slipping below the horizon. We turn
​
marshmallows on a stick, they’re gooey, golden s'mores. Will
we ever be 
too old, roasting marshmallows on the beach. Our 
answer is in the moon, full of delight.

©Jone Rush MacCulloch



The Sealey Challenge
August 1: field notes poems of the lost and found by Melissa Madenski
August 2: Twenty Love Poems and One Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda
August 3: Recover by Allison Joseph

Linda Mitchell
8/3/2023 02:38:45 pm

Love this, Jone! We had a party this summer for family celebrating 60 years of marriage--so many of the same questions asked and a connecting of the generations that are turning, turning into time. What a cozy, lovely golden shovel.

PATRICIA J FRANZ link
8/3/2023 05:47:38 pm

Jone, I love the wisdom of seeing the connecting turns in your own life and the life of your granddaughter. There is such heartful hope in seeing our youngest desire to continue the traditions they love. Beautiful golden shovel, too!

Carol Varsalona link
8/3/2023 08:41:21 pm

Jone, I find family time to be of utmost importance,especially now that we grow in years. I often wonder how my little grandgirls will be when they are in their teens. I am glad that you have a granddaughter who is interested in family traditions. I love the strike line you chose to write your Golden Shovel poem. It is one of my favorite lines. Enjoy your weekend. Enjoy the moon's full face. The sight was beautiful last night.

Mary Lee
8/4/2023 04:52:51 am

How lucky that you have extended family/generations to build and maintain traditions. We manage the best we can with our friendship group.

Irene Latham
8/4/2023 05:14:55 am

Dear Jone, I love these thoughts on turning! (Just this week we settled on a subtitle for a forthcoming book...it has "Turning" in it!) And no, never too old to roast marshmallows on the beach. Thank you! xo

Irene Latham
8/4/2023 05:15:39 am

p.s. and of course the answer is in the moon! Adding this post to my moon padlet! xo

arjeha link
8/4/2023 05:39:39 am

Jone, traditions are so important in family life. The fact that you granddaughter is asking questions shows that traditions are important to her as well and that she intends to keep them alive. Keep toasting those marshmallows on the beach.

Karen Eastlund
8/4/2023 06:54:45 am

Jone: I love the tie-in with roasting marshmallows, and the emphasis on family tradition. Great image also! Thanks!

Mary E Cronin link
8/4/2023 07:18:44 am

"Our answer is in the moon, full of delight." Such a glorious summery poem!

Laura Purdie Salas link
8/4/2023 07:36:26 pm

Oh, the answering moon and that sun turning a page...swoon.

Linda Baie link
8/5/2023 05:57:44 am

I love the song, too, Jone, and your connection to family & the moon! That “turning” in our lives makes wonderful memories.

Marcie Flinchum Atkins link
8/5/2023 05:31:23 pm

Oh I love this. And I don't think we'll ever be too old to roast marshmallows on the beach.

Alan j Wright
8/5/2023 05:52:47 pm

Jone, you have reminded me that we are forever turning and becoming. Your poem sings to this very thing and asks questions. Your golden shovel shines brightly.

Tabatha
8/6/2023 10:08:39 am

Enjoyed this, Jone. The heat of the fire, the stickiness of the s'mores, the ever present delight of the moon.

Anastasia Suen link
8/6/2023 01:30:52 pm

Wow! So many things to unpack in this poem, Jone!

Margaret Simon
8/7/2023 04:49:26 am

No, we will never be too old to roast marshmallows on a beach. I had a brief but beautiful beach respite last week. I love the golden shovel form. It's like the striking line is a gift and the writing we do around it emerges something new and beautiful in its own right.

Karen Elise Finch link
8/7/2023 05:48:57 pm

What a terrific weaving of Tis A Gift To Be Simple! You captured the beauty of the song and made me think of the song by The Byrds as well :) No, no, no, we'll never be too old to turn marshmallows on a stick at the beach! And oh you made me homesick.. I didn't care for crossing the bridge in Astoria, but the Oregon coast was worth it.


Comments are closed.

    Author

    All 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.

    Subscribe
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    #2021NaPoWriMo
    2021 National Poetry Month
    #2021NPM
    2021 Progressive Poem
    2022
    2022 National Poetry Month
    2022 Progressive Poem
    2023 National Poetry Month
    2023 Progressive Poem
    2024 National Poetry Month
    2024 Progressive Poem
    2025 National Poetry Month
    Allan Wolf
    Amy Ludwig Vanderwater
    Amy Souza
    Anastasia Suen
    Animals
    Aquarium
    Art
    Astoria
    Aurora Borealis
    Author Interviews
    Author Lisa Fipps
    Autumn
    Awards
    Bees
    Bells
    Beth Brody
    Betsy Fanco
    Birds
    Black History Month
    Book Give Away
    Book Quotes
    Books
    Bridges
    Bridget Magee
    Brú Na Bóinne
    Buffy Silverman
    B & W
    Calendar
    California
    Candlwick
    Cape Perpetua
    Carnivorous Plants
    Carol Labuzetta
    Carrie Fountain
    Cascade Poem
    Catherine
    Celtic New Year
    Cento
    Charles R Smith
    Charles Waters
    Childhood
    Chris Baron
    Classic Found Poetry Palooza
    Clouds
    Coast
    Collage
    Colors
    Columbia Gorge
    Cosmos
    Creative Community
    Crows
    Curious
    Current Events
    CYBILS
    David Elliott
    Debut Book
    Denise Krebs
    Dodoitsu
    Doors
    Earth Day
    Edgar Allan Poe
    Ekphrastic
    Ekphrastic Poetry
    Ekphratic Poetry
    Elfchen
    Erasure Poetry
    Exphrastic Poetry
    Family
    #februllage2022
    Fernanda Valentino
    Ferns
    Fibonacci
    First Drafts
    Flowers
    Flowers]
    Folk Tale Week
    Food
    #foundhearts
    Found Poems
    Free Verse
    Fundraiser
    Fungi
    Garden
    Gardens
    Georgia Heard
    Ghost Towns
    Ginko
    Giveaway
    Goals
    Golden Shovel
    #gratiku
    Grief
    Growth
    Haibun
    Haiga
    #haiku
    Haiku
    #haikudiary
    Halloween
    Heart
    Heidi Mordhorst
    Helen Frost
    Hope
    HOP TO IT
    IBBY
    Ice
    Imperfect II
    #Inktober
    Interviews
    Invitation
    Ireland
    Irene Latham
    Izchak Perlman
    Jama Alphabet Soup
    Janet Clare Fagal
    Janet Wong
    January 2023
    Joanne Fritz
    Joanne Rossmassler Fritz
    Johanna Wright
    John O Donohue
    Joyce Sidman
    Joy Harjo
    Jr.
    Kat Apel
    Koi
    Laura Purdie Salas
    Laura Shovan
    Leaves
    Lee Bennett Hopkins
    Light
    Linda Baie
    Linda Mitchell
    Lita Judge
    Liz Garton Scanlon
    Love
    Mandalas
    Marcie Finchum Atkins
    Margaret Simon
    Marilyn Singer
    Mary Lee Hahn
    Memorial Day
    Michelle Barnes
    Michelle Kogan
    Mixed Media
    Moe Phillips
    Monday Musing
    Moon
    Morning
    Morse Code
    Mud Puddle
    Mystery
    Naomi Shihab Nye
    National Arbor Day
    National Poetry Month
    Native Plants
    Natural World
    New Book
    New Growth
    New Year Postcards
    Notebooks
    Ocean
    Oddities
    Odell
    OLW
    One Little Word
    OR
    Oregon Writers' Colony
    Original Art
    Pacific Northwest
    Packard Group National Exhibition
    Painting
    Pamela Sue Johnson
    Pandemic
    Pantoum
    Pat Mora
    Patricia J Franz
    Patterns
    Paulann Petersen
    Paul B. Janeczko
    Peace
    Peonies
    Photography
    Plants
    Poem Anthologies
    #Poemtober
    Poetry
    Poetry Challenge
    Poetry Challenges
    #poetrycommunity
    #poetryforpersistence
    Poetry Friday
    Poetry Friday
    #poetrypals
    Poetry Play
    #poetryplayground
    Poetry Pop-UP
    Poetry Prompts
    Poetry Share
    Poetry Videos
    Pollinators
    Pomelo Books
    Portland Japanese Garden
    PreK
    Process
    Progressive Poem
    Prose And Poetry
    Publishing News
    Queen Anne's Lace
    Rain
    Rainbows
    Randi Soenshine
    Rebecca Brock
    Rebecca Herzog
    Rebecca Kai Doltish
    Rebecca Kai Dotlich
    Recipe Poems
    Redwoods National And State Parks
    Reflcetions
    Renewal
    Reunion
    Reverso
    Revising
    Revision
    Rivers
    Robert Burns Day
    Robert R. Sanders
    Robyn Hood Black
    Rocks
    Rose Cappelli
    Sally Walker
    Sarah Grace Tuttle
    Scotland
    Scottish Gaelic
    #sealeychallenge
    Sean Taylor
    Shadorma
    Shadows
    Shawn Aveningo Sanders
    Signs
    Sky
    #smallpoems
    #smallpoemsdecember
    #smallpoemsjanuary
    Snow
    Snowman
    Snowmen
    South Carolina
    Spark
    Spiritual Journey Thursday
    Spiritual Thursday
    Spooky
    #SpookySpectacularFoundPoems
    Spooky Spectacular Found Poems
    Sports
    Spring
    Spring Snow
    St Brighid's Cross
    St. Brigid
    #StopAsianHate
    Students
    Student Work
    Summer
    Summer Poetry Swap
    Summer Solstice
    Sunday Solace
    Sunrise
    Sunset
    Super Bowl Sunday
    Sylvia Vardell
    Tabatha Yeatts
    Tanka
    Taylor Mali
    Teacher Notes
    Teaching Poetry
    Texas Womens University
    The Hill Of Tara
    #theinklings
    The Inklings
    The Last Bookstore
    The Poeming Pigeon
    The Poetry Box
    The Poet's Studio
    The Sealey Challenge
    This Poem Is A Nest\
    Tracks
    Trees
    Tritina
    Tualatin Wildlife Refuge
    TWU Student Work
    Ukraine
    Universe
    USBBY
    Verse Of Ages
    Veterans
    Veteran's Day
    Vietnam
    Virtual Exhibit
    Visual Haiku
    Water
    Wildwood
    William Stafford
    Winners
    Winter
    Winter Poetry Swap
    Winter Solstice
    WIP
    Wnter
    Word;less Wednesday
    Wordless Wednesday
    Wordy 30
    Worless Wednesday
    Worm Moon
    Writing Event
    Yosemite National Park

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020

Proudly powered by Weebly