Even after 3 showers and a bath,
my right thigh still says
“Property of him”
in faded black Sharpie
with an arrow pointing between my legs.
I’m too afraid to scrub it off
because I don’t want his feelings
to wash away with the words.
Maybe I’ll get it tattooed
in hopes that if the words stay
his feelings will too.
They call it permanent marker
but everything I have ever let touch my skin
has left with the promise
of forever
still dancing in my head
I remind myself that
forever is unattainable
but then I look in his eyes as he says
“I love you.”
and suddenly forever seems an arms length away.
So tonight I might take a bar of soap to my thigh
and wash away the ink
because although some things aren’t permanent,
some people are.