It's the Age of Fashionable Mutilation
buzz of the ink machine
pop of the needle through eager flesh.
Spread of a subculture
like the hippies and punks before them.
Those on the outside
puzzled or envious
ask Why?
How does one answer?
That it is the ageless questing
for that holy grail
for the answer to the meaning of life?
Some may say it is just an addiction
to the rush of endorphins
but just ask a tattoo ******
what his art stands for.
It is a map of his life
of those people, places and ideas
that brought him to who he is today
and who he wants to be tomorrow.
You see, it isn't just
the sting of the needle
or the rattle of the jewelry.
It's a public display saying
Here I am
here's where I've been,
here's who I hope to be.
It's a badge of honor, a memorial,
a hope and a dream.
It's a way to reach the next level
of enlightenment
and when that needle pierces your skin,
leaving a hole or scratches with a trail of ink
it leaves an imprint on your mind
as well as your flesh
of that moment
when you are ready to say to the world
this is me.