August 14, 2026
Who Is the Fairest of Them All?
on reflection
norton pond mirrors
the sky.
inside the cabin,
above the divan,
on the wall, mirror mirrors
norton pond and mirrored sky.
—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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Notes about poem and art:
• One way this tanka invited me to “keep myself challenged” was by breaking one of its lines in two and typing the two parts with nonstandard alignment. Its playful arrangement mirrors the word play it holds.
• I have so enjoyed developing the paper-tile units comprising this larger work in progress. The process is very focused and calming as I Keep Myself Challenged by combing through my collections of both hand-painted paper scraps and printed matter to find just the right touches to add visual interest to each tile. I worked on this one in a snippet of early-morning time when our home, full of family, had not yet got in gear for the day.
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8 responses to “Who Is the Fairest of Them All?”
Love how you challenge yourself in your poetry. I love how mirrors holds the whole piece together, the lake a mirror that mirrors itself on the inside mirror above the divan!
All artwork is a challenge! The moment you put down a mark you have created something that has to be dealt with… on so on…. until you say its done! Each small piece an entity in itself! Love the gentle movements!
Thank you for your support of my continuing to challenge myself with poetry. I have been LOVING the challenge and learning curve for these past 15 months—so much to learn and practice. This week has been intense, with two 2-hour zoom classes from two different poets, one Wednesday and one yesterday. This mirrors tanka was fun! It kept me challenged in playful ways while keeping within its compact form.
Indeed, all artwork is a challenge! Thanks for noticing the “gentle movements” in this paper tile and for noting that each small piece is an entity in itself. Yes, and yes!
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Mirror mirror on the wall…..I’m drawn right into infinity and beyond as I imagine the reflection of the reflection of the sky in Norton Pond.
And I love how you are keeping yourself challenged with your little tile snippets searching for just the right scraps from your stash and making meaningful marks.
Don’t you just love those early morning quiet mornings while house guests are still slumbering!
MaryAnn, you picked up on everything I posited here : )
Indeed, mirror, mirror, on the wall, the infinity of it all at Norton Pond.
I know you can well envision, and feel in an embodied way, the search for just the right snippets, being the compatriot in collage that you are.
I do love those quiet early morning moments while house guests are still slumbering; I love the restorative pause and I love the anticipation of wakeful activity soon to follow!
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Lola! You mirrored the fun I had with my tanka by writing your ditty for Dotty! LOL!
Thank you for loving the magic with me. I continue to be so agog with this word adventure I’m on. And mmmmm, stealing away for those snippets of time to work on this bit of art while enfolded by my sleeping house filled with favorite people. Deeeeeelighted is the word!
Sheila, thank you for your affirmation!
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