Niobe Extinguish this need, dear one. Let the wounds heal and the saints see to this ache. Pray the Rosary five times that my Tower will not shatter to ashes, but be a lamp, a lighthouse fracturing the night, signaling the sin-weary home. Tantalus taught me well, how to yearn, but not how to heal. But still, I can warn them away. Feel the soft wake of drowning water at your feet. In the dim, eternal Acheron, a loaded boat slips past. Where is the shinin

Ghost Girls You quietly do so things get done. But, there is no victory parade for having and holding, for bearing babies for eating while feeding, for sleepless nights and keeping watch. You hold fast, do not shatter apart too often. Unsinkable in the muck of everyday. Breaking apart, little by little you put yourself together again each morning. Waiting for no one to save you. To the invisible hands that prepare, nurture, direct- I see you. To the invisible hearts that

Ghost Girls You quietly do so things get done. But, there is no victory parade for having and holding, for bearing babies for eating while feeding, for sleepless nights and keeping watch. You hold fast, do not shatter apart too often. Unsinkable in the muck of everyday. Breaking apart, little by little you put yourself together again each morning. Waiting for no one to save you. To the invisible hands that prepare, nurture, direct- I see you. To the invisible hearts that

Put your ear to your arm, better yet, your wrist. You will hear the ocean inside roar, rush through, barely breaking to beat, your tide’s ocean echo, our rise and fall. Fast-fast-faster in love until it burns through your being and the sky inside erupts into stars. Put your head to my chest. It’s on repeat. You’re safe, you’re safe with me. My heart moves with you In you For you. #Water #photography #chushcoff #poetry #jennifer #love #poem #preston

Put your ear to your arm, better yet, your wrist. You will hear the ocean inside roar, rush through, barely breaking to beat, your tide’s ocean echo, our rise and fall. Fast-fast-faster in love until it burns through your being and the sky inside erupts into stars. Put your head to my chest. It’s on repeat. You’re safe, you’re safe with me. My heart moves with you In you For you. #Water #photography #chushcoff #poetry #jennifer #love #poem #preston

Thank you, @dellahickswilson. #poetry #poetry

Thank you, @dellahickswilson. #poetry #poetry

Who needs yoga when you’re a photographer? #art #photography #chushcoff #yoga #poetry #jennifer #preston

Who needs yoga when you’re a photographer? #art #photography #chushcoff #yoga #poetry #jennifer #preston

This photograph of water was taken during August’s solar eclipse. Each pinpoint of reflection is light from the sun. OBLIVION The light from a star is a lonely, faraway fire. A luminous, fixed point burning, falling in on itself to guide travelers, a hundred thousand years before your birth, and a hundred thousand after. A sphere exploding, but tethered, never breaching its own borders, tormented by its own bright light, broken and built again each day, yearning for the soft

This photograph of water was taken during August’s solar eclipse. Each pinpoint of reflection is light from the sun. OBLIVION The light from a star is a lonely, faraway fire. A luminous, fixed point burning, falling in on itself to guide travelers, a hundred thousand years before your birth, and a hundred thousand after. A sphere exploding, but tethered, never breaching its own borders, tormented by its own bright light, broken and built again each day, yearning for the soft

I’m pleased to announce that my poem, “Fossil”, appears in the digital version of WA 129 – a collection of NW poetry curated by WA State Poet Laureate, Tod Marshall. #fossil #chushcoff #washington #poetry #jennifer #poem #preston #TodMarshall #WA129

I’m pleased to announce that my poem, “Fossil”, appears in the digital version of WA 129 – a collection of NW poetry curated by WA State Poet Laureate, Tod Marshall. #fossil #chushcoff #washington #poetry #jennifer #poem #preston #TodMarshall #WA129

Watching the ocean and its long, slow search         for equilibrium expanding,         the power of its presence. Come, heal the busyness in us, the rapid-edit thoughts, the search/destroy to-do’s.          Equilibrium, wash over us and calm our rabbit hearts. Let peace trickle in the rocky tide pools.         Let let the sapphire, emerald,  ruby lights remain, quietly, underneath your cover.          Let ocean whispers  replace our language and carry our hearts             

Watching the ocean and its long, slow search         for equilibrium expanding,         the power of its presence. Come, heal the busyness in us, the rapid-edit thoughts, the search/destroy to-do’s.          Equilibrium, wash over us and calm our rabbit hearts. Let peace trickle in the rocky tide pools.         Let let the sapphire, emerald,  ruby lights remain, quietly, underneath your cover.          Let ocean whispers  replace our language and carry our hearts             

Darkness sticks to my skin, I’m buried deep, though the world is full and I am untethered gathering sunlight in my hair for someone willing to see. A garden breeze loosens a strand to brush my face. I stop to feel color blossom and my soul is quiet long enough to hear you breathing the warm, summer air heavy with honeysuckle miles away you have made me visible. Seen #photo #Seen #photography #chushcoff #poetry #jenniferpreston #poem #Instagram

Darkness sticks to my skin, I’m buried deep, though the world is full and I am untethered gathering sunlight in my hair for someone willing to see. A garden breeze loosens a strand to brush my face. I stop to feel color blossom and my soul is quiet long enough to hear you breathing the warm, summer air heavy with honeysuckle miles away you have made me visible. Seen #photo #Seen #photography #chushcoff #poetry #jenniferpreston #poem #Instagram

Inhale water’s slow to make her art a soft persistence beguiles and seduces the boulders crack and crumble scatter bones beneath the waves the tides have time to burn winter’s weary centuries break open earth’s blue blood Exhale #art #waiswater #droplet #fog #Water #photography #chushcoff #poetry #jennifer #poem #nature #preston #photos

Inhale water’s slow to make her art a soft persistence beguiles and seduces the boulders crack and crumble scatter bones beneath the waves the tides have time to burn winter’s weary centuries break open earth’s blue blood Exhale #art #waiswater #droplet #fog #Water #photography #chushcoff #poetry #jennifer #poem #nature #preston #photos

A literary poem for Creative Colloquy. #CreativeColloquy #chushcoff #poetry #jennifer #poem #preston