1. I’ve been tattooed for over 48 hours. Over 48 hours. For those hours nothing else exists, creating a masterpiece on flesh. The combination of a dentist’s office Mixed with tattoo ink. That smell is my home, Each visit brings memories back. I remember every line, Every shade of color the dull ache by the wrist hitting nerves That I can feel all the way up my arm To the sharp burn in the “pit” More or less likened to Setting fire to the skin With knives being scraped across. This is the necessary sacrifice You learn to live in the pain, Letting it wash over you Rather than fight it. Sink into its searing embrace Let it burn away the stress 22 Connections * 2. To the older woman who stopped me At 8 am to tell me my mistake, That tattoos will cost me my future. My “mistake” is my crowning achievement. To my mother who insists I must be mad Truthfully I might be mad Mad with the desire of creation Painting scenes of unparalleled beauty upon skin Bringing color to the plain. * 3. The drive home is the culmination The high after the pain The calm after the storm The reflection On what I just did to myself What I put myself through. Like a prisoner being released I can’t resist but go back. This is the escape I crave An escape from the deafening noise of everyday life Into the buzz of the gun. Into the burn of the needle. This is my escape. Let the ink flow Watch my walls go Fire up the gun, Ryan. ***