The Tattooed Poets Project: Thomas Fucaloro

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today's tattooed poet is Thomas Fucaloro.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I met Thomas last summer after spotting him at the <a href="http://poetrysocietyny.org/new-york-city-poetry-festival/info-for-this-year/">New York City Poetry Festival</a> on <a href="http://www.govisland.com/html/home/home.shtml">Governor's Island</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the tattoo on his leg:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCbOudGz9JID1UVhRLmHvQuWA8K8Sro2uD8MpaDVst7ScODUY1US72IZAxo_OEsuRVsmLMifnaClE4DIdR0OHKYflQvVc6vHLzD3eAb1_sj1nHYkcespPhCtoz9SQNvtZtsA5_gLW7vg/s615/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCbOudGz9JID1UVhRLmHvQuWA8K8Sro2uD8MpaDVst7ScODUY1US72IZAxo_OEsuRVsmLMifnaClE4DIdR0OHKYflQvVc6vHLzD3eAb1_sj1nHYkcespPhCtoz9SQNvtZtsA5_gLW7vg/s640/photo.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br />For those of you who don't know, this is an illustration from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0064430227/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0064430227&linkCode=as2&tag=bill03-20%22%3EHarold%20and%20the%20Purple%20Crayon%2050th%20Anniversary%20Edition%20(Purple%20Crayon%20Books)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0064430227%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Harold and the Purple Crayon</a>, a children's book by <a href="https://www.ksu.edu/english/nelp/purple/index.html">Crockett Johnson</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvGchN-gE4hT-84KyIaxfiWCmF8zcWRWJ8ML8_W2xqdR7XAc7vKYJnT9sSno7WkcFj4MBixX8V6ttsT5WXZSfVPnH-Fa6tHcCohtnzIdv41p2WFMdrMyvfSQ9-fsMYz_fviUNDzXxeKQ/s1600/haroldandpurple.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvGchN-gE4hT-84KyIaxfiWCmF8zcWRWJ8ML8_W2xqdR7XAc7vKYJnT9sSno7WkcFj4MBixX8V6ttsT5WXZSfVPnH-Fa6tHcCohtnzIdv41p2WFMdrMyvfSQ9-fsMYz_fviUNDzXxeKQ/s400/haroldandpurple.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br />This was one of my favorite books as a kid, so really wanted to find out what this tattoo was all about.<br /><br />Thomas told me "I don't remember who gave me the tattoo, but I know they were affiliated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Shaw_(tattooist)">Jonathan Shaw</a> and tattoos and cappuccino in the city, but this was 15 years ago."<br /><br />He sent along the following, which was "the poem that inspired the tattoo or vice versa":<br /><br /><i><u>Thomas and the Purple Crayon </u></i><br /><br />So there was no moon in the sky<br />so he drew one and then a house<br />with some windows, a door, a kitchen, a table<br />and then a mother and a father.<br /><br />The first time I told my parents I have a cocaine problem<br />they looked at me odd<br />like I just told them I want to run for the presidency<br />or<br />be an Olympic javelin thrower<br />or<br />become a poet.<br /><br />Thomas draws disappointment on their faces.<br /><br />Something is about to change in Thomas and I don’t even know it.<br /><br />I hope the need for coke becomes the need for my parents.<br /><br />The drawing of the house still, stands.<br />This time Thomas adds shutters to the windows<br />so nobody can see in or out. <br /><br />Thomas erases forks, knives and other sharp objects for <br />protection. He draws a hot air balloon in case he needs to escape.<br /><br />The 4th time I told my parents I have a cocaine problem<br />they looked at me sorrowingly, morningly set sunset vibrant<br />just for a second, gone. Ultimatums fly like high-heeled shoes thrown<br />at my head, rightfully so. Thomas draws band-aids. Don’t worry<br />he draws a hot air balloon in case he needs to escape.<br /><br />I’ve started writing poems where my father is the course through my veins<br />my mother a circulatory system of never ending branches reaching,<br />pulsating through arteries bloody blossoming through those little veins<br />in your eyeballs holding a stare of hope. Thomas draws his eyelids shut.<br /><br />The 7th time I told my parents I have a cocaine problem<br />they looked expected. Expected like the sun.<br />Expected like one day I would have to put my crayons away.<br />Expected like no hot water in my building.<br /><br />Thomas draws mountains of regret, <br />throws them off the George Washington Bridge<br />if only to draw anew.<br /><br />I’ve started drawing these poems <br />where Thomas is writing about telling my parents about the first few times<br />I had a cocaine problem but they keep coming out like this poem.<br /><br />Some people call me a drug poet.<br /><br />My parents are taking the place of drugs in all my poems.<br /><br />I think<br /><br />this is a good thing.<br /><br />I<br /><br />draw<br /><br />a smile.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~ ~ ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thomas Fucaloro is a New York City poet who has a book out by <a href="http://threeroomspress.com/authors/thomas-fucaloro/">Three Rooms Press</a> called <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984070079/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984070079&linkCode=as2&tag=bill03-20%22%3EInheriting%20Craziness%20is%20LIke%20a%20Soft%20Halo%20of%20Light%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0984070079%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Inheriting Craziness</a> and is founding editor of <a href="http://greatweatherformedia.com/">great weather for MEDIA</a>. He likes rainbows.<br /><br />Thanks to Thomas for his contribution to Tattoosday!<br /><br /></div><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=0984070079" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.39728624955751" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoos are reprinted with the poet's permission.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 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></span></b></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Thomas Fucaloro

Today's tattooed poet is Thomas Fucaloro. I met Thomas last summer after spotting him at the New York City Poetry Festival on Governor...

Read more »