JL Tooker

@jltooker.bsky.social

324 Followers 341 Following

Speculative tales, poetic trails, and a soul tuned to resonance.

a poem by JL Tooker, aka jlynn in white lettering on the background of an imagined image of cosmic consciousness, such as in the side view of a feminine human face and her skull giving rise to a cosmos. The poem is title "Answer Me" and reads: incarnate cosmos / godless? / I imbibe / consciousness... / the universe / awakens / in me
a poem written by JL Tooker (aka jlynn) on a deep purple background with golden images representing the universe. The poem reads: unraveled patterns / connections finally seen ' suddenly-- / it's magic
haiku by JL Tooker (jlynn) written upon a cerulean background of sky and sea: disengaging fluff / forgone cerulean waves / surreal thunder
red hooded image to promote an experimental writing in brevity of a well-known fairy tale. Through the Red Hood by JL Tooker on Substack
digital art created by JL Tooker: a firefly fairie on the other wind, bright colors against a pale lavender sky
A poem by JL Tooker written against the image of a rock slate: GNEISS TO NO not Morton not Sacawee and probably not Watersmeet the world’s oldest rock sits somewhere The point—the peak—is wouldn’t it be nice to know when we began when mountains grew when climate shifted history of home it would be nice to know which stone listened first
Black silhouette of a person in profile speaking, with curved lines representing sound leaving their mouth. A speech bubble above reads “…of voice and truth…”. Minimalist black-and-white style with a textured border.
The first frame of a digital line drawing (comic style) of a female writer appearing to be struggling with her writing with a speech bubble that says: Why Struggle? created by JL Tooker aka jlynn
a pi poem written against a chalkboard background; 3.14159265359 written by JL Tooker: Here's the thing / . / I / always loved pi / I / did until it was / overdone, overstated, overcooked / it's round / infinitely tested / never done / not really / here's the thing - I am / ........done
background of sand dunes, and a quote from Substacker Belinda Drakes: "Writers call it fiction, but sometimes it is just memory learning how to breathe safely on paper."
a digital comic-style line art of a woman staring at a blank page and a caption question of "Why write?" The first in a two-frame comic by jlynn from her Wednesday Musing originated on Substack: https://read.jltooker.com
A poem written on a light gray and tan background of a heart-shaped brain written by JL Tooker, aka jlynn: my son, / you drive me / crazy— / I lose / my thoughts / in the middle / of you. We're good / though, / as long as / I / never lose you.
Image is an early curling stone made from Ailsa Craig blue granite with rusted iron handle against white background. On it is written a haiku / phaiku by JL Tooker aka jlynn: treasure of Aisla Graig / /ancient blue cleaved to green / cost twenty a ton
A haiku / phaiku written on a graded pink background with a brilliant green caterpillar inching along a faint twig below the phaiku titled "Sublime": young caterpillar / swaying rhythm coaxing ants / sublime duplicity. The poem and sketch both created by jlynn aka JL Tooker
image of a jellyfish galaxy
A background of various watercolor sunsets over Galapagos featuring the inked outline of a giant tortoise at the bottom and overlaid with a poem written by JL Tooker and inspired by the presumed extinction and rediscovery of the Floreana giant tortoise lineage in the Galápagos. Floreana, the poem reads: havoc / among / the helpless / giant / saddleback / lineage / extinction / consequence / return / Floreana / found / Isabela
A watercolor background of a green cloud, a gold circle and two horizontal gold lines; a digitally hand-drawn ink sketch of a Mongolian horsehead fiddle, or Morin Khurr, sits next to a poem "Khoomei" written by JL Tooker: vibration growls / in my feet / mid-calf muscles / pulse / a rumble / low in my gut / one by one / vertebrae / rattling / what’s caged . in bone
A digital line drawing by JL Tooker: a tree with five branches; the trunk is labeled "archetypes", and each branch is names by a perceived class of archetype. e.g., mythic, philosophical, psychological, structural, and applied. The drawing serves as an invitation to read the essay "Archetypes - a Lineage" at https://read.jltooker.com
a line0drawn digital sketch by JL Tooker as part of her Muse series, depicting a writer at a desk with a stack of books, they are looking down at their writing, not seeing the flower before them, and the word "attention" written at the bottom
A poem by JL Tooker (aka jlynn) written over a NASA image of the Egg Nebula; The poem reads: no AI / no paint no chalk no line / a star / hurling itself toward unmaking / light breaking through dust / a mark / in the dark. The image: In the centre an opaque cloud of grey gas hides a star. Two strong beams of light from the star emerge from large holes in both sides of the cloud. The central cloud is surrounded by concentric, wispy shells of gas, illuminated by the star’s light. The shells reflect extra light where they’re hit by the twin beams. A crowd of smaller stars with cross-shaped spikes over them surround the nebula on a black background.
a black and white digital sketch of a woman's hand outreached, pointing to undefined glowing objects and in the lower right corner, handwritten words: "look slower"
a poem titled "Why is DNA So Sexy?" written by JL Tooker on a blurred red background with strands of DNA protruding from the left side
On a background of solar falre sits a vert translucent whiskey tasting glass, and a phaiku / haiku sequence written by JL Tooker aka jlynn: first run exquisite / bias dances on my tongue / impatience resumes lingering whisper / smoothness betrays your power / wrapped in cool crystal pale gold, full-bodied / sweetness outrunning pepper / solstice warm and spared slowly we dabble / my mind pushing mutter / solstice comes sideways satisfaction flares / fullness dissipates empties / absence rings clear
A fluid background of gold-tone curls and waves as a background to a phaiku / haiku written by JL Tooker: can you imagine / a wonder you cannot name / diametric gaze
handdraawn digital sketch of a simple desk holding a pen and a draft document and above the desk is the comment "Still her" with something having been erased after the letters "her". No. 2 in a developing series of comic-style frames.
A multi-colored grid image depicting the Fibonacci sprial with a Fib or Fibonacci poem written by JL Toker below: blue / bird / above / rushes home / to feed the nesters / daddy blue always true to fate
a poem written on a faded background of ancient cuneiform. the poem is title "Return" and is written by JL Tooker, and reads: before the voice wanted freedom / it wanted to last / marks for floods / names for seasons / a way to say / "this happened" / expression speaks to the moment / memory speaks when no one is left to answer / I am listening backward
screenprint images in hues of blue depicting winter weather warnings overlaid with a poem by jlynn aka JL Tooker: whether weather / wasting wonder / while warning and watch / steal the thunder / brace for storm’s embrace / then / face / nature’s inevitable grace
a mostly blank comic-style square with only the words "Still here" and an inscription ~M
watercolor sketch of dinosaur with words of a haiku / phaiku overlaid: coos rumbles and booms / feathered cloaks and owl vision / climate change still killed written by JL Tooker
a foggy window pain with a phaiku / haiku superimposed, reading: shock it all stall / reaching to contain chaos / rhythm screams once more by JL Tooker
diluted image of a stone cairn with these words carved: STILL, CURIOUS, HERE, REACHING
a snippet of text from WIP World Beyond the Song by JL Tooker. It reads: o2’s voice was calm and precise. “None of us can be human in isolation,” they stated, as if quoting a well-known proverb. Jayla blinked and turned to the AI, startled by the weight of the words. “Kushner,” she said, her voice quieter. “When All You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough. I read it years ago. Funny. It didn’t seem so important then.” “It seems important now,” o2 replied, their tone softer.
A clip from Starwoven: Hear My Call by JL Tooker, reads: The ship’s low hum thrummed heavier here in the AOD. It was as if the ship itself was holding its breath. Then, without warning, a twinge of dizziness swept over her. Red stepped back with a slight falter that caught the curator’s watchful eye. He called to her, “Ship’s been a wee bumpy of late. Power surges and all,” he chuckled. “Probably nothing. Ships like this always hum, don't they?” Red beamed toward someone who already felt like a new friend. The GingySAS squelched her temporary unease and allowed her to return full force to the penetrating stillness before her. A grander display than she could have ever dreamed. Yet, she felt suddenly small—too small. She trembled at the disquiet. What if they don’t see me? Hear me? Beyond the crystal barrier, the universe stretched into a canvas of endless stars and shadows. The lulling drone of the ship faded, and she was left soul-to-soul with the vastness of space and a soft, unshakable resolve in her voice. “Hear me.” “I can keep you safe.” As Red whispered her offer, her vow, she momentarily re-lived Echo’s green flash and reimagined it to be shattered pieces of an ancient tablet—a message—somehow meant for her to piece together. Her promise lingered in the void, then circled back—settling inside her like it had found its home. Her voice may have been small, but those words carried a weight that would follow her for years. Someday, she would find a way to keep her promise— To them. To herself.
In honor of JRR Tolkien's birthday, a birthday wish written in Threlraan, a sci-fi constructed alien language created by JL Tooker for her WIP: World Beyond the Song.
A lavender think cloud with the words: The goal is not to write a book ... it's to become a writer. (jlynn, thinking out loud).
Red Planet in space with a clip of a WIP overlaid: "“Also, let’s include station maintenance records for the past six months. I’ll request the same from Apriori and Gurdjeiff.” She laughed, forcing a sense of humor. “Wouldn’t want to report an exciting discovery only to find out it was the loose bolt.” Jilliam deflated as she considered the distinct possibility of an artifact. A distinct possibility, yes; but in Jayla’s estimation, not highly probable. All reports would be cataloged on an ODC, ready to take with her in a few hours. They would be transmitted via X-band regardless, but Jayla wanted her own copy in hand, undoubtedly so she could begin her analysis during the three-hour return to Talamh Ru." From Waorld Beyond the Song by JL Tooker
a simple drawing of a woman holding her hand over her heart and overlaid by the words: I just returned from the doctor. He says my heart has an “atypical flutter”—though he has no idea why. I told him not to worry. I knew the cause. It’s you. Thank you for reading Wander Words by JL Tooker
a watercolor background depicting a sunset meeting the night sky on winter solstice, with a phaiku in the foreground: tilt away and chill / shortest day meets longest night / new stillness arrives ~jlynn
a hiaku / phaiku overlaying the lighted imaged of a dagger falling across a spiral petroglyh, o.e., the Sun Dagger of Fajada Butte, Cahaco Canoyon, New Mexico. The phaikku reads: Sun Dagger / Phaiku No. 21 / watching it mattered. / the wall. the stone. it mattered. / light made its place known.
Against purple northern lights, the muse flies Santa's sleigh, but Rudolph steers - an invitation to read JL Tooker's weekly Wednesday Whimsy about the antics of her muse. https://read.jltooker.com
Against a deep blue cosmic sky sits a haiku, titled "Wholly Night": on stars of wonder / ancient awe raises chin to sky / seeking all that's bright (written by jlynn, aka JL Tooker)
a watercolor image of green splashes behind a round bottle of apple whisky, homebrewed and aptly named "Signal & Solstice" with an invitation to read the full article at: https://read.jltooker.com/p/signal-and-solstice-homemade-apple-whisky
a line drawing of two hands, one placing a yellow band on the finger of the other hand, on a pink gradient background.
"The Sky is Speaking" written over the photograph of a red hand print and a red crescent moon painted on sandstone by Ancient Puebloans in Chao Canyon, New Mexico
a haiku written atop an image of a spiral petroglyph on a high-desert rock: pec peck peck repeat / observe align peck repeat / sky pressed into stone
An image of Chaco Canyon under a night sky inviting readers to subscribe to Wander Words by JL Tooker on Substack - read.jltooker.com
Two dragons/serpents in watercolor blue framing a philosophical haiku or phaiku: raw with awe - dragon / swirling serpentine of sky / myth before monster
A faux newsprint article about the Muse who haunts JL Tooker
imagined image of literary consciousness a dreamlike brain with pages of text flowing into it as it connects to a book below; image is overlaid with a haiku titled Minded and reads: slow literary / pages - something in the self / loosens, widens, feels; written by jlynn at Substack's Wander Words by JL Tooker
A quote from James Clear -Atomic Habits on a pink background with blue quote marks: You have to run your own race. Problems begin the moment you start comparing your results to someone who is playing under different conditions. The 40-year-old entrepreneur with three kids has different constraints than the single 27-year-old. A painter with 20 years of practice shouldn't be the benchmark for someone in year two. Someone caring for aging parents is not in the same position as someone with no obligations outside work. Play your own game. Emphasize gradual progress and keep the comparison internal.
a faux newspaper article about JL Tooker’s muse escaping the Sanitorium for Sense and Structure, hitchhiking west in Texas, with an inset photo of a woman in snakeskin boots and tattered gown standing in the middle of a two-lane desert highway, facing down the moon
bookcover for Starwoven: Hear My Call by JL Tooker, s young girl in black shadow with her hand pressed against a starship widow facing the green aura of a celestial body
background is a yellow orange sunset lowering into a shadowed mound on which there are dancers and drummers in black silhouette, overlaid with the statement: Good writing is in the rhythm, not in the rules - Julia Cameron sentiment.
A poem titled Penultimate Meandering on apale green background with a lighter squiggle representing a river and meandering through the words: If penultimate is second last, what is second first? I am. Born second of eleven. I am 2 of 11. 9 of 11 is my only sister. She is second last, but first lost ... to me. Order. Does it truly matter? Truly it does ... in some circles. But do circles order? Perhaps in degrees. Do you see how I meander penultimately?