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Freckled

My only tattoos were formed by time

By Cathy holmesPublished 8 months ago 1 min read
Honorable Mention in Tattoo This Line Challenge
by Valeria Smirnova on Unsplash

On my skin I see memories;

freckled reminders of moonlit nights

and warm days spent in the sun.

Each spot, a tattooed moment in time.

A souvenir, tracing my journey

from babe to woman,

from her to me,

from then to now.

I see the lines form under my eyes

and cross my skin.

Lines shaped by rivers of time -

flowing, as blood flows through my veins,

around lentigo islands

through mountainous tissues

and hills of mole and tag.

I see, in the reflection of my eyes,

traces of past, specks of present

and a glint for the unknown

of a future I’ve not yet met.

I smile at the sun-freckled face in the mirror,

and she smiles back,

both of us knowing

that I’ve been and am

where and who I’m meant to be.

Born of stardust.

Mapped by sunbeams.

Grounded in respect.

Free Verse

About the Creator

Cathy holmes

Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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Comments (24)

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  • Lamar Wiggins7 months ago

    Wow, that was awesome, my friend. This challenge was fierce. So glad this got HM. That ending especially was gold! Congrats, Cathy!

  • Congratulations on Honourable Mention 🤩… well deserved, clever take on the challenge… & life.

  • JBaz8 months ago

    Congratulations on honourable mention, I am sorry I missed this one the first time out.

  • Test8 months ago

    oooooo! This was good Cathy!! Congrats on honourable for the tattoo this challenge!! I love the born of stardust line the most!!

  • Wooohooooo congratulations on your honourable mention! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊

  • Tim Carmichael8 months ago

    Congratulations on your honorable mention!

  • Tiffany Gordon8 months ago

    Get it gurl! That was exquisite! BRAVO Cathy! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

  • Silver Daux8 months ago

    I love how gentle this is! There was something about "from her to me" that really struck me. Something about where it was in the poem that made it hit hard! Such a beautiful poem!

  • And so we should respect ourselves, indeed. I loved these gentle descriptions! Very sweet.

  • Kristen Balyeat8 months ago

    I’m absolutely obsessed with this, Cathy! Oh my gosh, resonated to deeply. “Mapped by sunbeams” just perfect! I always say my freckles and wrinkles are just evidence of all the sunrises and sunsets I’ve had the privilege of witnessing. Loved this piece so much! I’d tat that! 😉🥰💫🩷

  • D.K. Shepard8 months ago

    "Each spot, a tattooed moment in time." is such a perfect and wonderful line! This is a fantastic poem, Cathy!

  • Beautifully written. Great work!

  • Sean A.8 months ago

    This is gorgeous work! Not one line wasted, and just layer on layer of meaning

  • C. Rommial Butler8 months ago

    Well-wrought! "We are stardust, we are golden."

  • Best earned tats ever!

  • Kodah8 months ago

    This is incredibly beautiful. Freckles are stunning. Such a lovely way to embrace it! Adore this piece 💝🌟

  • Andrea Corwin 8 months ago

    This is lovely and I truly FEEL it!!

  • John Cox8 months ago

    This is a beautiful reflection on the artistry of time, experience and age, Cathy! I love it! Although my lines are starting to resemble scrimshaw more than tattoo!

  • Mother Combs8 months ago

    This is great, Cathy!! And a great way to look at freckles! <3 So positively wonderful <3

  • D. J. Reddall8 months ago

    As a freckled and spotted Irish person, I find this especially familiar and affecting, Cathy! Great work!

  • Gina C.8 months ago

    Oh friend, I love this so much! What a superb poem and line.

  • Sandy Gillman8 months ago

    This is such a lovely tribute to you freckles

  • Lightning Bolt ⚡8 months ago

    I love it, Cathy. Beautiful entry. ⚡💙⚡

  • Marie381Uk 8 months ago

    Well written ♦️♦️♦️My sister had reddish hair she had lots of freckles me I am dark but don’t have any ♦️♦️♦️♦️

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