Skin Illustrations

This is my body
It is my temple, my book, my canvas
I decorate the walls, fill the pages, and paint it to share a piece of me
I'm a work in progress- take a look and you'll see

I wear my life on my skin
Each tattoo tells a story
Each one is special to me
Each one etched in pain to become a work of beauty

I have my memories and dreams inked on my skin
I'll never regret a single one of them
They are my journey, my statement
They are my life in print

My blood type is ink
I bleed it, it's my life force
My tattoo collection is growing, I don't see an end
Fuck diamonds, tattoos are a girl's best friend

Don't judge a book by its cover
My tattoos don't make me irresponsible or untrustworthy
I am not a bad girl, just a good girl with tattoos
Don't judge me until you know me, I'm not judging you

I really don't care if you like my ink or not
Or even if you understand them
I won't cover my tats up for anyone
I am proud of my skin illustration

"Willie: Is - Is that what you mean by skin illustrations? Tattoos?
Carl: They're not tattoos, they're skin illustrations! Don't you ever call them tattoos!"
— The Illustrated Man