The Tattooed Poets Project: Stephen Roger Powers

Today's tattooed poet is <a href="http://www.stephenrogerpowers.com/">Stephen Roger Powers</a>, who is sharing this tattoo of an iconic figure from the music industry:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPEkgIsZUR2GKxxzQYLwzbUEr5P9Naiis5mSUH6zqCI7lfL2NWpt4mBLSbSZlmNxXeyj58epbJHuNJs4ZXJQwWBHDz0CJGCJqsyQDJQ4aBfEKioWb1Tl_siNOgJvZhmUH5uyTbJBGXs8/s1600/Dolly+Tata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPEkgIsZUR2GKxxzQYLwzbUEr5P9Naiis5mSUH6zqCI7lfL2NWpt4mBLSbSZlmNxXeyj58epbJHuNJs4ZXJQwWBHDz0CJGCJqsyQDJQ4aBfEKioWb1Tl_siNOgJvZhmUH5uyTbJBGXs8/s400/Dolly+Tata.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by James Morton</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Stephen explains:<br /><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I've been a <a href="http://www.dollyparton.com/">Dolly Parton</a> fan since my family took a road trip to </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Tennessee</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> in 1987.  We stopped at <a href="http://www.dollywood.com/">Dollywood</a>, and I fell in love.  When I was in college I wanted a Dolly tattoo, but I never went through with getting one.  I kept the thought of it in the back of my mind for years, and when I started writing poems about Dolly and my frequent trips to Dollywood to see her perform benefit concerts for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollywood_Foundation">Dollywood Foundation</a>, the idea slowly crept forward again.  Then <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1907056203/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1907056203%22%3EThe%20Follower%27s%20Tale%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=1907056203%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">my book of Dolly poems</a> came out in 2009, and I knew it would soon be time.  One day last year my friend Liz, who has 14 tattoos herself, told me to stop thinking about it, stop talking about it, and just do it.  Sounded reasonable to me.  So Liz drove me to <a href="http://www.libertytat2.com/">Liberty Tattoo</a> in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Atlanta</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> and introduced me to <a href="http://www.libertytat2.com/tattoos/michael-shack-shackleford/">Michael "Shack" Shackelford</a>, the artist who'd done most of hers.  Shack drew up a stylized, cartoonized version of Dolly from the cover of her 1977 album <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_You_Come_Again">Here You Come Again</a>, taking some creative license by adding pokey nipples, which was fine with me. </span></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo4Pl0nIwqqEuPGWt1DhA9jWGZlwZMaO5kgzpTmASJesWK0nxPAiVK-bIOCMTCYr_ek6EojOp9fyW2mnEytV29An_J0z1jGJH4qCGoq19XNy9ONRCSlYQYlqu6seRCo-IkubEdEImOZg/s1600/Hereyoucomeagain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo4Pl0nIwqqEuPGWt1DhA9jWGZlwZMaO5kgzpTmASJesWK0nxPAiVK-bIOCMTCYr_ek6EojOp9fyW2mnEytV29An_J0z1jGJH4qCGoq19XNy9ONRCSlYQYlqu6seRCo-IkubEdEImOZg/s1600/Hereyoucomeagain.jpg" /></a></div><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Liz kept saying she wasn't going to let me back out of it now that she'd driven me there and gotten pulled over for an illegal u-turn on the way, so Shack sat me down, we got started, and today I have Dolly Parton inked on my forearm.  While the tattoo is based on a full body shot of Dolly and it runs down my entire right forearm from elbow to wrist, the photo here is a close-up of just her face and torso, which I think makes Shack's details easier to see.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Accompanying this Dolly tattoo is Stephen's poem, "Dolly and the Frog Strangler," which appeared originally in <a href="http://www.wlu.edu/x31904.xml"><i>Shenadoah</i></a> and can be found in his book <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=168&a=164">The Follower's Tale</a> (available <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=168&a=164">here</a>):<br /><br /><b style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dolly and the Frog Strangler</b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I was writing a song with Dolly when we ran out of gas</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">near exit 201 going south through a sudden downpour in Indiana.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The first verse was something about how hay bales grow</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">darker in the rain and the sides of barns turn from red to brown.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We were also hauling a Dolly Parton pinball machine by Bally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The backglass was in the backseat. The playfield, with rubber</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">flippers intact, cartoon Dolly barefoot in denim shorts, was too big to go</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">in the trunk all the way.  It hung over the bumper by bungee cords.  Every bump,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">my worn-out shocks groaned and banged like rickety roller coasters.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We waited for a trucker to bring us a gallon.  Hail popped on the roof</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">like too many warped records playing at the same time.  We were bored,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">looking for ways to amuse ourselves.  Dolly tapped her dragon lady nails</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">on the dashboard.  I used my sleeve to wipe away windshield fog.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After we hummed a middle C we wrote the second verse,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">something about long hair between your lips and mountain berry shampoo</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">scent in your nose when you kiss someone in the wind.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We rolled down the windows to let the storm heat evaporate</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">some of the air conditioning.  Dolly’s wig got tangled and wet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The strangest thing was happening: The pinball machine</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">kept flashing hot pink and lavender.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maybe lightning hit the cord trailing behind.  Or else something lit it</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">up from our mind’s eye that saw corn tassels rolling in this gully washer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">over the fields as applauding hands of cheering crowds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our chorus was something about how you look out</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">your rearview mirror and it’s still visible after a mile</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">passes, maybe two if the countryside is flat, but then it fades</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">away and is gone, and you can’t remember anymore what mile</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">marker it was by when you passed it.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> ~~~</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.stephenrogerpowers.com/">Stephen Roger Powers</a> is the author of <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=168&a=164">TheFollower's Tale</a>, available from <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=168&a=164">Salmon Poetry</a>.  His work has appeared in <i><a href="http://www.wlu.edu/x31904.xml">Shenandoah</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.32poems.com/">32 Poems</a></i>, <a href="http://dislocate.umn.edu/"><i>Dislocate</i></a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Margie-American-Journal-Robert-Nazarene/dp/0971904006">Margie</a>.  He divides his time between </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Wisconsin</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Georgia</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">, and Dollywood.</span><br /><br />A sincere thanks to Stephen for sharing his poem, tattoo and his love of Dolly Parton here with us on Tattoosday!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1907056203" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. The poem is reprinted here with the permission of the author.<br /><br />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 </span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> 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.</span></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Stephen Roger Powers

Today's tattooed poet is Stephen Roger Powers , who is sharing this tattoo of an iconic figure from the music industry: Photo by James M...

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