Reminders and meanings,

I need them to keep me going.

The wrist was the most painful;

veins rattling,

blood drying and crumbling,

pale, thin flesh violated,

permanently blackened,

but a pretty font.

Simple but powerful.



It tells me not to be like Her.

It tells me not to be like Them.

It tells me not to be Afraid.

It tells me to say ‘Yes’.

It tells me I’m not actually Dead.



The shoulder is stained, too.

A life philosophy

in the words of a literary God.



It tells me what to expect.

It tells me to stay grounded.

It tells me to keep caution.

It tells me how the world works.

It tells me what I am.

Complex but honest.

I need a little fun in there.

Hidden away, but

don’t take myself too seriously.



It tells me of my childhood.

It tells me of my friends.

It tells me I’m a nerd.

It tells me I’m a kid.

It tells me to remember.

Symbolic but silly.