Tattoos fascinate me,
Intrigue me,
Raise so many questions
In my mind.
So many questions that,
According to my son,
I’m not supposed to ask,
Because “Tattoos are personal.”
So I look -
Discreetly, I hope -
And I wonder,
And I ask my questions
In my head
And not out loud.
What does a butterfly mean to you?
Freedom? Flight? Transformation?
What about a rose?
Beauty? Love?
The rose garden?
Or the thorns that
Accompany
The roses?
Who do you love
(Or did you love)
That drove you to wear that
Heart
On your shoulder?
Do you still love them?
Do they still love you?
Do you know
What those letters,
Those foreign words,
Those symbols,
Those signs
Mean?
Why did you choose
That quote?
Does it inspire you?
Warn you?
Make you smile?
Make you cry?
Does seeing it
On your wrist
Remind you
Of a promise to yourself?
Are you keeping
That promise?
Is it a goal
That you want
To strive for?
What if your goal
Changes?
What happened on that date?
Who is that person
Whose name
You wear on your arm?
Your mother?
Your daughter?
Your lost love
That goes
With the heart on your shoulder?
Tattoo thoughts
That I cannot say out loud.
About the Creator
Laura DePace
Retired teacher, nature lover, aspiring writer driven by curiosity and “What if?” I want to share my view of the fascinating, complex world of nature. I also love creating strong characters and interesting worlds for them to live in.
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Comments (2)
I know several people who've gotten tattoos for conversation starting purposes as a way of inviting people to talk about deeper and meaningful things while getting to know each other! Sure it's not always the case, but can't hurt to ask! Great poem, Laura!
Makes me want to find someone and ask. Maybe they really do just want someone to ask their story. Great job!