Punctuate your body
with any pretty little picture:
the heart that took yours
the American Beauty rose
still climbing your ankle
enchained with the dog
tag left behind with too few
other personal effects.
Uncover that old peace
sign you held so high back
in 1968 after you kissed
your first boyfriend, long
before he got drafted
and your skin healed over
for the last time, requiring
no further explanation.
© 2013 Maureen E. Doallas
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I offer this poem for this month's tattoos theme at TweetSpeakPoetry and Every Day Poems.
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10 comments:
As someone with a tattoo, and who knows most tattoos have meaning, I appreciate this poem!
Thanks for sharing it!
"Uncover that old peace/ sign"--I love that line break.
Maureen, you're amassing quite a collection of tattoo poems--all wonderful. Through tattoo art, you're finding new angles on our life in our bodies.
tattoos ... awesome topic for a poem. I will have to be more observant and see how they speak to me when I'm out and about "people watching". Nicely done!
the story behind the tattoo
The imprint of the skin so visible... the imprint on your soul much the same, you only have to look deeper.
The story of a tattoo is awesomely nice and powerful words you have used. I like this a lot. :)
before the skin heals over
yes, this!
From the general to the specific, and back to general again, the poem makes me think of those I know with tattoos in a new way.
I'm fascinated with the topic of these poems as I am with people who have them. Your words, staccato and succinct give me new understanding of why people "puncture" themselves with personal and meaningful symbols.
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