The Sparrow Tattoo

The year I turned sixty, my first full-length book of poems was published. I had a strong desire to permanently, publicly, and proudly commemorate reaching both of those significant milestones.

(I have another tattoo that I got earlier in my life — one people rarely see; it’s on my hip, a place that is not often visible to the wider world. I was inspired to get that one, an image of a swimming sea turtle, after my amazing honeymoon trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2011. My husband also got a tattoo on his shoulder that summer, an image of two playful sea lions. Both the sea lions and the sea turtle were creatures we encountered close-up, an almost mystical experience, when we were snorkeling during our trip. Unforgettable.)

It had been quite a few years since my first tattoo, and I was ready for a second piece of artwork to wear on my body, now that I was entering a new phase of life. I chose an image of a sparrow, what I consider an “ordinary bird,” a totem animal I can relate to. I see myself as one of many “ordinary birds,” not particularly remarkable or brilliant, not wanting to call too much attention to myself, just going about my work, singing my little melody in a backyard. A small part of something much larger: the grand conversation going on between writers and readers over time, the flock of all creative humans, the interdependent ecosystem I belong to.

The title of that first book, Humming At The Dinner Table, is taken from one of the poems included in it, whose subject is my lifelong habit of humming without being aware that I’m doing it. As a child I was told not to, especially at the dinner table; it was considered rude. But my family members can all attest that humming is something I can’t stop myself from doing continually. However, other people — not in my family — have told me that humming is an unmistakable sign of happiness. I like that explanation; it’s the perfect excuse for my habit. So I made sure to tell the tattoo artist that I wanted her to draw the bird’s beak open, as if we see the sparrow in the process of releasing the notes of her ordinary song. Just like what I try to do with my poetry.

(Credit for the beautiful tattoo artwork goes to Remedy Rook of Ink Lab, Minneapolis, MN)