The Tattooed Poets Project: Puma Perl

Our final installment of the fourth annual Tattooed Poets Project is from a repeat contributor, Puma Perl. Puma graced us last year with this contribution.

 Puma wanted to share her newest tattoo with us, and I couldn't possibly turn her down after I saw it:

Puma explains:

"This tattoo was just finished ... on Saturday 2/18/12. It is a companion piece to the mermaid with the Wonder Wheel on my back, which I sent you last year. I guess the Coney Island Theme will continue as Coney Island is torn down, or 'redeveloped.' Both pieces were done by Emma Griffiths, who now works out of Tattoo Culture."

As I live in south Brooklyn, near Coney Island in Bay Ridge, I can't help but be partial to Coney Island-themed tattoos.

Puma sent us a Coney Island-themed poem, to boot:

CONEY ISLAND FEBRUARY
 
He leaves,
the sounds
of a concrete
boardwalk
trailing behind him
 
and I dream
of bass players
and Coney Island,
broken benches
and Coney Island
 
and I dream
of warm peaches
and Coney Island
burlesque babes
and Coney Island
 
I dream
I dream of
Coney Island
 
and I wake,
hands filled
with pussy,
 
unsatisfying,
but I go on
because
progress
must continue.

~ ~ ~

Puma Perl is a NYC-based writer, performance artist, and curator. Her poetry and fiction have been published in over 100 print and online journals and anthologies. 

She is the author of the award-winning chapbook, Belinda and Her Friends, and a full length collection, knuckle tattoos. 

She lives and writes on the Lower East Side and has facilitated writing workshops in community based agencies and at Riker’s Island, a NYC prison. She is a founding member of DDAY Productions, which presents poetry and performance events. Link to her blog for info about book purchases and events: http://pumaperl.blogspot.com/.

Thanks to Puma Perl for her contribution and for rounding out this year's Tattooed Poets Project!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Taurus Tattoos And Meaning

The zodiacal Sign of Taurus commences on April 20th, but for seven days it does not come into its full power until on or about April 27th. From this date onwards it is in full strength until May 20th, and is then for seven days gradually losing its strength on account of becoming overlapped by the "cusp" of the incoming sign Gemini.

Taurus is the sign of practicality and possessions. People born under the sign of Taurus tend to be very patient, practical and dedicated people. Such people are usually very cautious when dealing with people, life and money. They have a curious power of dominating others, even when not conscious of trying to do so.

People who were born in that time are extremely faithful, with a strong need for security and a settled routine. Although they are very earthy, they can also be highly romantic and sensitive when it comes to love.

They have great power of endurance, both physical and mental, and can pass through enormous strains of fatigue as long as the excitement or determination lasts.

They make wonderful hosts and hostesses, and have great taste about food, and in the management of their houses they can make much out of little.

These people often become excellent directors, have good business intuition, but are generally considered richer than they really are, as they always dress well and look well.

They are governed by their sensations and by their loving nature, but affection has a greater hold on them than passion. Such people are also warm and sensual, with an appreciation of the fine things in life. Taurus is motivated by a need for security; this sign is good for business matters and can be trusted to carry things through with absolute care. These people are very strong-willed and often quite creative. The Moon is exalted in Taurus, giving success with matters to do with the public and, combined with the influence of Venus, a passionate nature endowed with a strong sense of loyalty and fidelity. They are kind and generous with friends, with whom they develop an unspoken rapport.

If they love, they are generous to the last degree, and will consider no sacrifice too great for the person they care for; if they are enemies, they will fight with the most determined obstinacy. But they always fight in the open, for they hate trickiness, double-dealing, or deceit.

They are easily influenced by their surroundings, and become morbid and morose when trying to live under uncongenial conditions.

They are also too easily misled by their emotions, sensations, or affections.

As a rule both sexes are jealous in their disposition, and their jealousy often drives them into acts of violence or sudden exhibition of temper, which they bitterly regret when the storm is over.

They are at their best are typically strong and silent, but often appear ignorant and willfully obstinate to others.

They have an innate sense of harmony, rhythm and color, and often are very successful in music, poetry and art. Those born in this sign have an ability to become the most faithful, loyal friends. They also make good, patient nurses and healers, and almost all have a keen love of gardening and flowers.

Simple Small Star Tattoos Idea

There are several reasons and meanings behind star tattoos. You could look at them in terms of hopes to being a star or your goals and determination to reach for the stars and be all you can be (no pun intended). Otherwise, for the most part the meaning behind a star will depend on the type of star.

Star tattoos can be as simple as the choice to study in astronomy, or as complicated as to signify the birth a child.

Star tattoos can represent a significant change in one's life or a desire to achieve high goals. Maybe it represents a bright, shining point in your life.

Kat Von D

Katherine von Drachenberg

Date of Birth
8 March 1982, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Height
5' 9¼" (1.76 m)

Spouse
Oliver Peck (8 March 2004 - 23 July 2008) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Tank Tops

Her Unique Eyes

Tattoos all over Her Body

Kat Von D was born on March 8, 1982 in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Her family moved to the United States when she was 4 years and ten years later, she did a tattoo of a Misfits skull. It was her first but certainly not her last as she found herself hooked on body art ever since. At the tender age of 16, she was already working at a local tattoo shop and her expertise has brought her a long way from home, working in California for a shop called True Tattoo and in Dallas, Texas for the shop Elm Street Tattoo. Her latest project is for the TLC reality television show, Miami Ink.

Kat Von D was asked to join the second season of Miami Ink as a replacement for the injured tattoo artist Darren Brass. She is known as the “Queen of Portraits,” as she is deeply drawn to portraiture and realism. Her presence in the show has brought a different energy, as she is the only female tattoo artist in the bunch.

Born on March 8th, 1982 in Nuevo Leon Mexico, to Argentinean parents René Drachenberg and Sylvia Galeano, Kat Von D moved to Colton, California at the age of four. Growing up, she was very close to her grandmother who greatly influenced her love for art. Her grandmother introduced her to playing the piano and listening to great composers such as Beethoven, Kat Von D's favorite. She grew up close to her parents and siblings in Inland Empire, where she was exposed to various cultures and influences. At the age of 14, she got her first tattoo, an English J on her ankle, a tribute to a previous love affair. It was then when she discovered her talent for art and in 1996, she picked up the machine and started honing her craft. Two years later, Kat Von D started working in a professional shop, Sin City Tattoo, and moved on to Blue Bird Tattoo in Pasadena a year later. Other shops she has worked in include Inflictions and True Tattoo, where she worked with Clay Decker, Chris Garver and Tim Hendricks. It was then when she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her husband to be, a talented artist named Oliver Peck.

Kat Von D appears on LA Ink wherein she features her shop, High Voltage Tattoo and her various clients who have willingly shared their tattoo stories. LA Ink is a spin off of Miami Ink, where Kat Von D has also previously appeared in.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Shana Wolstein

Our penultimate tattooed poet is Shana Wolstein, who sent us this photo:

Shana explains:

The word 'always,' was the first tattoo I got. It's on my left-wrist, facing me. The song 'Always,' by Irving Berlin, was what my mother used to sing to us when we were sad as children. My sister got a similar tattoo and when my dad asked what my mother would have said, we both had to sheepishly grin because the answer was always 'Wait until I'm dead.'

I got it while I was studying abroad in China and visiting Hong Kong, a few months after she passed away. I wrote [the following] poem after visiting Tai Shan or Mount Tai, one of the 'Five Sacred Mountains' in China. According to Wikipedia 'it is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal.' "

My Journey of Over 6,000 Steps

The best way to cure a cold
is to climb up the tallest mountain
you can find. Spot as many lucky
birds, rest on every turn, and when
a man offers to carry you—refuse.

When you think you can't go any further,
you will. Like the bird pacing
the ground and shuffling dirt
with his beak, you need patience.

When you close a lock, throw the key
down the mountainside, it can only make
the bond stronger. Forget about food,
or what you thought it was, question

the safety of bottled water, watch old
women climb faster than you, watch
the clouds erase your time, the sun
write it on the walls, the dry stones bleach.

 ~ ~ ~

Shana Wolstein has her MFA from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where she was the 2011 recipient of the Herb Scott Award for Excellence in Poetry. She has been published by Third Coast Magazine, Anomalous Press, Hinchas de Poesia, OVS Magazine, and more. Still in Kalamazoo, she works as Coordinator for the Prague Summer Program and Managing Editor of the academic journal Reading Horizons.

Thanks to Shana for sharing her poem and tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission. 


If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

The Tattooed Poets Project : Joolz Denby

Our second tattooed poet today, Joolz Denby, hails from Great Britain. Not only is she a tattooed poet, she is a tattoo artist, as well, tattooing out of her shop, Studio Bijoux, in Bradford, UK.

Joolz sent us this photo of one of her tattoos:

Joolz explains:

"This tattoo is from the Dylan Thomas poem Do Not Go Gentle and it is a facsimile of my handwriting. It was done by one of my tattoo masters, Adam Dutton at Lifetime Tattoo in Derby UK where I did my apprenticeship. I had it done in memory of my father, Captain Ron Mumford of the Highland Light Infantry and the Territorial SAS. I loved and still love him very much indeed. He was a soldier, a scholar and a gentleman." 

Here's Joolz performing a poem:



You can also read and hear more of her work on her website here.

We're honored to have Joolz contributing to the Tattooed Poets Project. As one can tell from her wikipedia entry, she's an accomplished figure in England both in poetry and tattoos.

Thanks to Joolz for participating!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.


If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Ali Jacs

On this, the penultimate day of our fourth annual Tattooed Poets Project, we will be featuring a pair of tattooed spoken word artists.

First up is Ali Jacs, who shared her tattoo in its sketch stage

and in its final state:

Ali explains:

"I got the ... tattoo in January 2010 after a bit of a dark yet very enlightening stage in my life ... The tattoo artist Elton Buchanan is trained in the Maori style of the Te Arawa tribe in New Zealand. There is fair bit of symbolism in this - frangipani flower petals symbolize personal awakening, of which I did a fair amount in 2009! There are fish scales which symbolize the 'taniwha', or mythical Maori protector who dwells in the ocean, there is weaving to symbolize strength in family and friends and there are two Manaia - guardian spirits of the earth, sea and sky. Blending in some contemporary culture, there is a treble and bass clef to highlight my connection with music. 

Which ties in quite well with my poem, which I've provided [below] ... most of my poetry these days is focused on performance poetry and this particular piece focuses on the music that we hear in every day occurrences and the sounds that bring this world alive." 

Here is the poem that Ali has shared:

   

Ali Jacs is a performance poet from Wellington, New Zealand. After getting involved in the spoken word community in the Canadian prairies, Ali returned home to New Zealand in 2010. She won 2nd place in the 2011 Going West Writer’s Festival Poetry Slam in Auckland and in October 2011, won 2nd place in New Zealand’s inaugural National Poetry Slam. Having travelled extensively across Canada and Europe, Ali’s poetry is inspired by people, landscapes and cultures encountered on the road, exploring themes of politics, sexuality, social and environmental justice and the madness of these crazy times. Ali runs the monthly performance poetry series Poetry in Motion in Wellington, New Zealand and has recently finished her first chapbook Romantic Pragmatism. You can also check her out on her new website www.alijacs.com.  

Thanks very much to Ali Jacs for her contribution to the Tattooed Poets Project!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The tattoo is reprinted with the poet's permission. 

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Danielle Shutt

Our next tattooed poet is Danielle Shutt., who sent us two photos.

First is a shot from right after she got inked in June 2007:

And then, a close-up of the tattoo:

Danielle explains:

"My wrist tattoo came out of my own mindless notebook scribblings. It's two intertwined S's, representing my younger siblings' first names. We've been through a lot together. I got the tattoo when I was 23 and living in Richmond, VA. There was a particularly strong surge of family-related peril and tumult back then, and I found myself wanting something that would keep my brother and sister close to me--something less morbid than the black cloth bracelet I'd been wearing. I knew the drawing was exactly 'right,' but it took me a while to commit anyway. I'm the kind of person who needs to be bitten by impulse before I get my body involved in anything. (This includes dancing and doctor appointments.)

In this case, a grande margarita and my friend Kristen did the trick. Kristen accompanied me to River City Tattoo, where a nice guy named Reverend Bob tattooed the symbol on my wrist in less than three minutes. I was happy with it. I always will be.

I get asked all the time about what the tattoo means, which is cool because I love talking about my sibs. I still think of the tattoo as a comfort, but more often these days it reminds me of my brother and sister's hard-fought survival, which in turn reminds me to stay strong, too."

Danielle shares this poem, as well, which originally appeared in thINK, a letterpress book published by Bowe Street Press at Virginia Commonwealth University:

Sometimes I Have to Go Around Will’s Curb

Barbed wire reached to scratch a warning at his window;
or, the slaughter-cows flicked their tails like traffic guards,
and in dusk a roadside tree flashed him old scars
        to beg off new bruises.

But really, there's nothing looking dead there. No car parts
or patches of uprooted grass, none of his teeth half-ground
into the pavement. The wooden stretch of new fence
        isn't as stark as I'd expected.

I guess he kept all the mess of it with him, smashed under
his face, caulked behind his eyelids; or, it's in the red dirt
and bone dust sent up by the tractor hitched to his lungs,
        pulling slow on these back roads.

~ ~ ~

Danielle Shutt completed her MFA in Creative Writing at Eastern Washington University in Spokane, WA, where she taught writing courses and served as a poetry editor for Willow Springs. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Hayden's Ferry Review, Redactions: Poetry & Poetics, PANK, Copper Nickel, DIAGRAM, and Hotel Amerika.

Thanks to Danielle for sharing her tattoo and poem with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission. 


If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Francesco Grisanzio

Every year I meet at least one of the poets featured on the Tattooed Poets Project. Francesco Grisanzio lives in New York and I got the chance to personally photograph his tattoos, which he offered up for us here on Tattoosday:

Francesco explained:

"My tattoos are of the characters from a comic strip I draw, or at least used to draw.

It's been a few years since I made a new strip. The comics haven't been published, but I did receive a great rejection letter from the paper at UMass Amherst when I was a student there.

They said something along the lines of 'We love the art, but you know that this content is unpublishable. Clean it up and we'll talk.'

The tattoos were done in Woonsocket, RI at American Art Tattoo."

Francesco offered up this poem:

Teenage Heaven

After Eddie Cochran

The Coupe, phone, big city—
freedom, Eddie, is what it boils down to.
Sharp crew cut cardigan,
our dearest son,
patriot, toe tap child rebel against homework,
enjoy the benefits of citizenship.
You’ve earned it.
Here’s three dollars.
Have a swell weekend.
We trust you not to make a mess.

But it’s not just youthful ignorance
or innocence where you choose to do what’s right on your own.
We’ve been to the drive in show,
seen peacock letterman, gorilla arm not content on headrest.
How dare you chuckle.  She’s just a child.
My God, Eddie, there’s nothing “little snack” about six hotdogs.
That’s beyond ingestion.  Where will they all go?
What are your intentions with our daughter?
We know she’s beautiful, but show restraint.
Little lady, you’re young.  This is heaven.
You can run.  This is America.
Please.  He’s an animal.  A beast.
And, Eddie, we’re very disappointed in you.

~ ~ ~

Francesco Grisanzio is currently working on his MFA in poetry at The New School. He earned his BA in English from UMass Amherst. His work has appeared or will be appearing in Word Riot, Fawlt, Why I Am Not a Painter, Strange Machine, and Interrobang!? Magazine.

Thanks to Francesco for his contribution to the Tattooed Poets Project on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission. 


If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.