Dog Days Portraits & Tankas

Breezy

This dog's perfect day:

summit Cadillac Mountain

race up granite trails

lap rain water from a tarn

reign triumphant at the top

Sleeping Simon

This dog's perfect day:

take the ferry to Schoodic

fetch sticks from the sea

catch the last boat back again

her foot softening my dreams

Shingles

This dog's perfect day:

take it slow and oh so easy

Adirondack style

don't get your tail in a twist

sit still and savor summer

Sadie

This dog's perfect day:

find a long and sandy shore

herd the breaking waves

harry seagulls; harass crows

organize the elements

A New Portrait and a Tanka

Kerry

8" X 10" pen-and-ink

2008

The Monsignor’s dog
is a black-and-white cocker--
saintly and sinful--
his eyes lifted to heaven,
in his thoughts he's digging holes.

I've taken up Tanka, a Japanese style of poetry, similar to Haiku, but with five lines in each poem, and 5/7/5/7/7 beats in each line. Actually, Tom signed me up for his Tanka group, but I am having fun writing Tankas for each portrait I draw. Maybe I'll start combining portraits with poetry on my greeting cards.

I'm off to my Japanese Block Printing workshop this weekend in Florence, Massachusetts. Stay tuned for my first woodblock print in COLOR!