The Narrows I sat at the kitchen table searching for words to fit a feeling, while a man, about to be a ghost, stretched his arms wide, I imagine, a small shadow on the water, he leapt into our inland sea. Sometimes language feels insufficient and we must act, or we drown  in that wordless  feeling. Maybe if the  dust of wagon trains still powdered our skin we would’t need them. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poe

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way …” Georgia O’Keefe Art, poetry, literature they all strip away our differences – a glimpse inward to see all souls, a physical manifestation of shared experience in a sensuous curve a fine tuned phrase or main character’s  journey home to  a different self, a bitter yearning put to rest – reassurance  we are not alone with this hurt, with  this fragile happiness. (The August Poetry Postcard Pr

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way …” Georgia O’Keefe Art, poetry, literature they all strip away our differences – a glimpse inward to see all souls, a physical manifestation of shared experience in a sensuous curve a fine tuned phrase or main character’s  journey home to  a different self, a bitter yearning put to rest – reassurance  we are not alone with this hurt, with  this fragile happiness. (The August Poetry Postcard Pr

Dry There is a whisper on the wind a herald autumn’s coming! The drip-drip dew downspout says thank goodness since the drought has done us in. The garden’s full of crisp, brown leaves copper needles, so many thirsty throats. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poets to write a poem a day in one go with no revisions on a postcard. Afterwards, the postcard is mailed to other participants. This is my second year and I ha

Dry There is a whisper on the wind a herald autumn’s coming! The drip-drip dew downspout says thank goodness since the drought has done us in. The garden’s full of crisp, brown leaves copper needles, so many thirsty throats. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poets to write a poem a day in one go with no revisions on a postcard. Afterwards, the postcard is mailed to other participants. This is my second year and I ha

Squint My windows face west and sunsets never disappoint, but  sometimes I long for shadows  soft and lean  between us some dappled shade. I hunt cool garden corners when our summer sun dips behind the shaggy  rainforest mountains at 10PM. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poets to write a poem a day in one go with no revisions on a postcard. Afterwards, the postcard is mailed to other participants. This is my secon

Squint My windows face west and sunsets never disappoint, but  sometimes I long for shadows  soft and lean  between us some dappled shade. I hunt cool garden corners when our summer sun dips behind the shaggy  rainforest mountains at 10PM. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poets to write a poem a day in one go with no revisions on a postcard. Afterwards, the postcard is mailed to other participants. This is my secon

Temporal At what point does beauty fade? At what point do we stop caring? We come into this world  with nothing we leave  with nothing,  but we spend our days  collecting, only to  let go. But for now, the tulips are in bloom the world is in bloom we are in bloom, my friend. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poets to write a poem a day in one go with no revisions on a postcard. Afterwards, the postcard is mailed to

Temporal At what point does beauty fade? At what point do we stop caring? We come into this world  with nothing we leave  with nothing,  but we spend our days  collecting, only to  let go. But for now, the tulips are in bloom the world is in bloom we are in bloom, my friend. (The August Poetry Postcard Project was initiated by Paul Nelson of Seattle, WA. It challenges poets to write a poem a day in one go with no revisions on a postcard. Afterwards, the postcard is mailed to

Good news to report! What an honor to be interviewed by someone I’ve been reading for years. Check out the News Tribune interview by Rosemary Ponnekanti to find out how to get published in the WA is Water book. http://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article32447697.html #RosemaryPonnekanti #glossary #writer #NametheRain #book #JenniferChushcoff #photography #byjenn #rain #washington #poetry #newstribune #artist #drought #WAISWATER

Good news to report! What an honor to be interviewed by someone I’ve been reading for years. Check out the News Tribune interview by Rosemary Ponnekanti to find out how to get published in the WA is Water book. http://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article32447697.html #RosemaryPonnekanti #glossary #writer #NametheRain #book #JenniferChushcoff #photography #byjenn #rain #washington #poetry #newstribune #artist #drought #WAISWATER

She’s at it again. #fairygothmother #macabre #nurserycrimes #poetry

She’s at it again. #fairygothmother #macabre #nurserycrimes #poetry

Happy 80th Parkway! A Newspaper Blackout Poem in honor of Tacoma’s Parkway Tavern After reading the News Tribune’s article about the Parkway Tavern, written by Kari Plog, I wanted to write a poem honoring the establishment. I’ve written similar poems, including one for Katie Down’s, which appears on the Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo’s Listening Project website. As I sorted through ways to begin, I decided it would be a fun challenge to come up with a poem using the article. I

Happy 80th Parkway! A Newspaper Blackout Poem in honor of Tacoma’s Parkway Tavern After reading the News Tribune’s article about the Parkway Tavern, written by Kari Plog, I wanted to write a poem honoring the establishment. I’ve written similar poems, including one for Katie Down’s, which appears on the Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo’s Listening Project website. As I sorted through ways to begin, I decided it would be a fun challenge to come up with a poem using the article. I

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been awarded a TAIP Grant (Tacoma Artists Initiative Program)! I’ll be traveling our beautiful state and taking photos that showcase Washington’s water, everything from Rainier’s glaciers to the irrigated vineyards of Walla Walla. The images will be accompanied by my poetry and factoids, culminating in a book release in Tacoma. Though WA is known for its green trees and rain, our water supply may be high and dry this summer. With snowpack at

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been awarded a TAIP Grant (Tacoma Artists Initiative Program)! I’ll be traveling our beautiful state and taking photos that showcase Washington’s water, everything from Rainier’s glaciers to the irrigated vineyards of Walla Walla. The images will be accompanied by my poetry and factoids, culminating in a book release in Tacoma. Though WA is known for its green trees and rain, our water supply may be high and dry this summer. With snowpack at

For the poets. Happy Valentine’s Day. Source: SoundCloud / byJenn #JenniferChushcoff #byjenn #Lovepoem #ralphwaldoemerson #byJenn #poetry #valentinesday #Namers

For the poets. Happy Valentine’s Day. Source: SoundCloud / byJenn #JenniferChushcoff #byjenn #Lovepoem #ralphwaldoemerson #byJenn #poetry #valentinesday #Namers

I wrote this poem after reading that the Art Deco ferry, Kalakala, would not be rescued from her fate. She went to the graving yard for demolition January 22, 2015. The track was recorded with construction noise on site at my home. I’m not sure if it worked, though the timing was interesting. (The image is a cropped photo of a photo by Dean J. Koepfler.) Source: SoundCloud / byJenn #spokenword #JenniferChushcoff #byjenn #washington #byJenn #kalakala #poetry #newstribune #poem