Ink and Clouds
🌥
He saw it in her eyes. The heartbreak. The past.
The artist knew he’d ink whatever she asked.
He didn't expect her to let him make a choice.
She holds out her arm, a red line from elbow to wrist; pain in her voice.
“I hate how this looks. Can you do a cover-up?”
“I can, you got a memory to disrupt?”
“Something like that.”
“What do you have in mind?”
She shrugs, “I’d rather go in blind.”
He nods, “I know just what you need.”
The ink flows as her skin starts to bleed.
Her eyes close, she breathes a sigh.
He looks back down, remembers the sky.
“The clouds are so pretty,” says his love, “what a nice view.”
He admires her smile, her eyes. “I put them up there just for you.”
“Your heart's broken, too, I know that look.”
Her voice breaks his thoughts, “Indeed, she stole my heart like a crook.”
“What happened?” She asks, eyes knowing and sweet.
“She was sick with something we couldn’t beat.”
She nods, leans back, enjoys the sting.
“How about you? Your eyes speak sorrow, but you wear no ring.”
She laughs, “He bailed, eyes wandered, left in a blaze of glory.”
“Well, we’re done. I gave you books, open spine, stitched in ink. Your scars deserve a better story.”
About the Creator
Steph Marie
I write web content professionally but I'd rather live off my fiction, somehow. I love all things spooky, thrilling, and mysterious. Gaming and my horses fill my non-writing free time <3
Insta @DreadfulLullaby
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
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Arguments were carefully researched and presented
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Day 4 of Quitting
If this is how sobriety feels, maybe it’s better to go through life a little buzzed… this, along with other hits like, I want to kill myself, I wish I was dead, and I’m going to throw myself off a bridge have been the only thoughts on rotation these past few days. I promise myself that if, in a month, I still feel like this (‘this’ meaning despondent, full of rage, and simultaneously numb) I can go back to smoking. Until mid-February though? Nicotine is off the table.
By sleepy drafts5 days ago in Longevity
Comments (15)
What a fantastic poem!!! I satisfied
What a lovely poem
Congrats on TS!
Great stuff! So much all wrapped in one! Poetry perfectly blended with storytelling is rare and captivating to me. Perfect ending line too. Greatly deserved Top Story.
My write read plz❤️🩹.well done. Poem
A lovely poem expressing heartache and sorrow. Such great symbolism. Well done, Steph.
What a beautiful haunting poem.
"you got a memory to disrupt?” great line
Fantastic work, Steph Marie! I read your poem aloud, and I think "your scars deserve a better story" is brilliant. Many congratulations on your top story!
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I'm happy to see this made Top Story! Congrats! 🥳
Beautiful and tragic and real. You really captured a shared moment of trashed and joy experienced between strangers. Thanks for sharing.
I loved this glimpse into this shared tattoo moment. It was inspired and felt real.
This is a beautiful poem, and you wrote it so well!
This is so lovely, Steph. You have so many great lines here, especially the last one "your scars deserve a better story." Amazing!