are not
permanent

~ but ~

this is how
mine
felt

like the shadows
under the
dead tree
which leach
blackness
into the
groundwater

the tattoo
scribbled on my
skin as a teenager
with a thick
needle
and ink

~ your name ~

a port wine stain
birthmark
which extends
across
my
*******

skrimshaw
on my own
teeth

the
Rorschach patterns
which diagnosed
YOUR
mental condition


they shouldn't define

~ me ~

BUT SHOULD BE
IMPRINTED
ON YOUR
FOREHEAD

PERMANENTLY


SoulSurvivor
(C) 1/16/2017