August 21, 2026
Ways Things Unfold
passeggiata, narrows road
—incongruous, improbable, and yet
post-dinner we stroll
the gravelly unpaved lane
past moosewood, hemlock,
bunchberry, damp logs,
moss, soft cross-hatched pine needles,
ferns, and leaf litter.
then we stand
stock still:
majestic, life-sized, sculpted
elephants!
just like that we’re touched
by hushed holy dignity.
pachyderms. ayuh.
—dotty seiter
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2.25 x 3″; watercolor, pencil, and collage on paper
paper-tile unit from a living work in progress
2026
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• “passeggiata” is a stack of 4 haiku, one stanza of which intentionally disrupts the traditional line arrangement and syllable count.
• Packed into this teeny bit of paper real estate is the Powerful Experience of stepping into the deep stillness always available within, first beside Norton Pond in June letting everything fall away to absorb myself in all the small movements and micro-decisions involved in painting, and then at home in July giving myself moments of solitude to focus on further small movements and micro-decisions tucked within the happy hearty hullabaloo of two weeks of family reunion.
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9 responses to “Ways Things Unfold”
The surprise and majesty of those sculpted elephants packed a powerful punch of internal wonder. We researched them and discovered they were private purchases from an international initiative called The Great Elephant Migration, a herd of which is actually now on Commonwealth Ave in Boston : )
Thank you for highlighting the final stanza of my poem.
My paper tiles are indeed tiny! It has been a pleasure to have them be a key project in summer 2026.
MaryAnn, you are echoing the pure magic of my experience! We were in such an entirely Maine setting, with a little edge to the experience b/c we weren’t sure how “private” this private dirt road might be. Then, in a blink, Maine and private road vanished, and there we were with two mother and calf elephant dyads!
Thank you for loving the stillness within that resides in these paper tiles and for appreciating my descriptions of their unfolding.
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Even your description of your creations is poetic:happy hearty hullabaloo
I cannot help but smile! Your words take me there, to that moment. That incredible unexpected sight! Holy WOW! And a gorgeous piece of living art to top it all off. I feel like I had an otherworldly experience just reading your blog! xoxo
golly, shucks, Lola—thank you! Happy hearty hullabaloo, how could I resist? I can still remember in 3rd or 4th grade having to draw a map of an imaginary island and give island and locations names. My dad took that as an opportunity to teach me alliteration. Tallyho Tavern! Pirate’s Pinnacle! Horatio Hatch Hill! Was he a great dad or WHAT?!
Coming upon those elephants: SUCH a moment of wonder!
Thank you always for your surges of support and empowering encouragement!
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