Thinking about getting a tattoo 
But, I take pause...
Looking in the mirror
I see my body’s already covered
Marked in invisible ink
Every inch of my bare skin
Painted with the joy and pain of living
From my heart to my hips
Color faded here, but poppin’ over there
Memories designed by your hands
Others etched on my own
A collection that makes me smile
Among a few pieces I regret 
So, about getting a tattoo...
I guess I’m not ready 
Because I can’t think of a tattoo
Meaningful enough, yet
To write over any of the life I’ve lived

LetEmFlow

Inked

Jun 4, 2026

June 2026

2026

Anger & Conflict - June 2026

Beauty & Aesthetics - June 2026

Dark & Scary - June 2026

Death & Mortality - June 2026

Drama & Tragedy - June 2026

Family & Relationships - June 2026

Fantasy & Magical - June 2026

Happiness & Joy - June 2026

Heartbreak & Loss - June 2026

Historical & Ancient - June 2026

Hope & Optimism - June 2026

Humor & Satire - June 2026

Inspiration & Motivation - June 2026

Love & Romance - June 2026

Mystery & Supernatural - June 2026

Nature & Environment - June 2026

Philosophical & Intellectual - June 2026

Political & Social - June 2026

Sadness & Melancholy - June 2026

Sexy & Sensual - June 2026

Time & Nostalgia - June 2026

Transformation & Change - June 2026

War & Heroism - June 2026

World & Travel - June 2026

bulletcookie

A poem with honest foundations and a true voice. Nice work.

Acora

Very beautiful and unique reason not to get inked. Well written

elizabeth-p-reynolds

This is gorgeous... expressed with emotion...honesty...thank you for sharing

LoriJonesMcCaffery

Bravo, Emily! for the write and for the Daily. This write speaks to everyone.

danger-mouse

Memories designed by whom?  Do not allow previous memories to define you or develop you. You are beautiful as you are. The best 'Ink' can't enhance or embrace you.

wwhoelbling

Great imagery and train of thought, Emily! Thanks for sharing! :-))

mark-17

alwaysulkingadult

The way you started the poem with getting a tattoo and then drawing analogy with the invisible tattoos was really interesting. It was an amusing piece which I enjoyed a lot.

ryan-olearyuu

Do you wear lipstick eye shadow or nail varnish?

removed.johnny-scarlotti

anonymityiskey

soularis

the weight of this poem just gives me enough feelings to vibe with it. great work though (:

Swoo

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Meyye

whoa, i was thinking about my first tattoo lately, but i guess you have a point!

StarSprout

this is such a fascinating way to portray the topic, i love it.

otuogbodor-okeibunor

Splendid excuse. Life itself is a story told in our body, no better tattoo can ever tell. Love it

ros-c

kei_akari

gareth-david

One of the best I've read on Hello Poetry, some decent verse for a change

removed.-sd15

That's a swell poem about you thinking about getting inked.

Loretta

Now that was smart and witty dear Emily, I loved it. Have a great day and thank you for sharing .

u1987

Very well written. Keep up the good work...

traci-sims

RagingEclipse

maristella

its a nice poem emily very simple yet sincere

ujjal-mandal

KatX

Blue_orchid

This is still my dilemma and you put it so perfectly in to words.

removed.-j7sr

Well, my new one will feature the phrase 'nulla salus, nulla remissio' which I think surmises my outlook on life.

steveclarke

Simply the best poem I&#8217;ve seen in here &#128079;&#127995;

aztropoet

silentwriter180

Very nice. A good reminder to enjoy what we already have.

Ijaazat

Absolutely heart-touching. A very deep piece of work.

carmel-1

lala-3

lawrence-hall

natali-greco

wandering-biku

I'm a sucker for a metaphor and I love this. Thank you

larry-schug

A well-written and insightful poem,echoing my line of thought regarding tattoos which put the song "Tattoo" by The Who in my head.  Check it out.

Jessdm

This is beautifully written &#10084;&#65039;

Jaynezzz

removed.-lmpr

drpragyasuman

SerenSails

Beautifully perceived and presented. Full of understanding and sageness.

nolittleboy

I guess our skins are like a map of love.
Been there, did that or done this.
&#8220;The need for a mask or wall so that I can hide from your spies&#8221; 
I like this poem very much indeed.

eleanor-prince

Perfect! Wish everyone would have that kind of insight, caution and wisdom.  Beautifully conceived and presented.

almostefni

wow. this is really good.
something to think about indeed

Frannieraeburn1

Jobira

I think this is so vibrant and wonderfully penned. We won&#8217;t feel any better inking one over the other but yet keeping already existing scars suffices.

nathalie-m-l

Wow, absolutely beautiful and resonates . Thank you for sharing such an exquisite work of art <3

Rob-bigfoot

Just read the other posts. Simply beautiful is all I can come up with. Sorry if this not do your poem justice. Keep going!

Jenie

This is lovely "can't think of a tattoo meaningful enough, yet to write over" the life described. Very meaningful

Shanethewriter

Beautiful stuff. This is exactly why I don&#8217;t have any tattoos, and you so eloquently put it into words. Thank you

KevinZed

judith-dayhoff

Oh, My, Emily, my life in a nutshell. 
The only time I considered a tat was when my daughter passed away. She had a rose tat on her ankle and I thought about duplicating it but on second thought - decided to let it be hers forever.