Like a Man Gone Mad: Poems in a New Century

Tattoos

40 Tattoos They once were seen as trademarks of distinction for sailors. Lately they’re everywhere you look. For men—lightning zigzags on the ankles, deltas of Venus where chin meets chest, American flags on shoulder blades or cocks. For women—a blue and smiling moon sequestered in the small of the back, roses on the upper ass, a Christian cross between the breasts, or an arrow pointing southward from the navel. Cannibals believed tattoos distinguished them from beasts. But now who knows if each tattoo’s a badge or just graffiti with an attitude? Some call it body art. Some say it’s ink on meat. If no erasing laser’s in the cards, it’s there for keeps, which means it’s guaranteed to last for life and in the grave. It never sleeps. ...