The needle rips and tears
vibrations through bone
pulsating pain on ribs
endured alone

Four hours of gritted teeth
the painful price of novelty
slow dips of black ink
paralysed...
A night terror atop of me

An obscure French artists character
now adorns my side
she'll fade and wither with me
she'll still be there when I die

Living in the moment
a mosquito in the breeze
skin like lizards when we're all sixty
the juice is worth the squeeze