jone rush macculloch

#17 in the Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2011.

Jone shows off one of her cool photos.

I’m very happy to tell you that today we have a special feast of poems and photos courtesy of Ms. Mac herself, Jone Rush MacCulloch!

I “met” Jone through Sunday Kicks at 7-Imp, and got to know her better through her Poetry Friday posts. She initially sent me one poem for the potluck, but after I saw the lovely photos and haiku from her new book, I persuaded her to let me share several of those with you, too.

Jone: I have always written poetry and loved poetry. I am a big believer of writing down at least three observations daily. Naomi Shihab Nye calls it building up a savings account of ideas. I love short poetry forms. I like the challenge of choosing the words to create an emotion or scene in a minimal way. Haiku and the shadorma (the form of this poem) are some of my favorites.

My grandmother was left handed as am I. When I was a teen, she offered to teach me how to tat, but I was too cool for that. It is one of my regrets. Luckily, I have some of her tatting.

Sadie Rush MacCulloch’s tatting, tatting shuttle and notebook.

grandmother’s
tatting shuttle flies
between threads
intricate
story knots about her life
I hold one to read

Though Jone regrets not learning to tat from her grandmother, she did inherit another part of her legacy, that of teaching. Jone’s grandmother taught well into her 80’s, and Jone has been teaching for 37 years so far.

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