Indelible Ink

for her

Pressed by sharp needle through tender skin,

The tattooer's ink spreads slowly over pale canvas.

Squirming morbidly, stifling cries, anxious to escape.

Bolstered by hope, the artist's scene emerges proudly.

Affixed forever, a badge bearing both memory and meaning.

Quickly laid, yet time fades both ink and memory.

Ghostly impressions telling half-truths.

Not so, the heart canvas, bearing both scars and artistry.

Old wounds, healed over but sometimes bleeding,

Etch the recess of the war-weary heart.

Yet, from the scarred landscape emerge traces of beauty,

Laid delicately, tenderly with indelible ink.

Barren landscape turned verdant,

Lush with hope and blooming with love.

No mirage, this fertile oasis springs up,

Tended and watered with gentle, yet fervent care.

No nameless respite from life's many cares,

This garden of desire, tattooed on my heart,

Is indelibly inked by you.