I’ve never found myself beneath a needle
Like so many of my friends
But I love to hear them tell the stories
I say, why’d you get that one again

Cause I’ve got tattoos
Some I hardly know are even there
Yellows and blues
Rising to the surface when I’m scared

Some of us were groomed by an abuser
Some were coaxed into a cage
Some of us were raised by broken children
Handed down a different generation’s rage

I’ve got tattoos
Some I hardly know are even there
Yellows and blues
Rising to the surface when I’m scared
I get confused
And my choices don’t make sense to anyone
I’ve got tattoos
Reminders of the pain I’ve overcome

Sometimes I sit with others in a circle
Pass around a daily reader or guitar
I share a bit, but mostly I just listen
Tracing who I am in who they are

I’ve got tattoos
Some I hardly know are even there
Yellows and blues
Rising to the surface when I’m scared
I’ve got tattoos