Poster Image
$20
Item#: 2003SYR14
Purchase Details
11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.
You also receive…
An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.
Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.
Poem Inspiration Location
In the Circle of
poster information
Description
In the circle of
The street light, a spotted dog
Looks for companions
I was reflecting on an experience in Armory Square. I was supposed to meet some friends at a bar, and I hadn't been downtown to meet friends for a long time, so it was kind of a new experience.
It was interesting: they stood me up. It was evening, and Armory Square was jammed with people. So I wandered around. As evening wore on, it got louder and louder, because everyone was in the streets, walking and milling about.
In crowds or in cities, when we have high expectations that something will happen, there's an excitement in the air, a heightened desire. So I felt that. And it was fun, but it was sad, too.
I liked the mood of this poem: a little bit wistful, mysterious and playful. But mostly I liked it because I like the idea of personifying animals. When you have an animal doing something almost human-like, you can put your own twist on it.
So I wanted to expand on the dog's personality. The haiku says a little about the dog's personality, but how much can you really say in a haiku?
I pictured him looking at his reflection. Later I thought of adding the cats. In the background, there's a coffee shop, and the idea of cats in the window, looking out at the lonely dog, and the dog looking at his reflection, wondering if he could see other animals—I thought it would be fun. He's not aware that the cats are there.