Tattoo Artist

He comes back from Japan
with a dragon tattoo, the artist
says give me some skin, sticks
his barb in with the colors
of choice, and sets to his back-
breaking work, graceful circles

are a good way to start, he tells
his canvas not to move, this
will hurt but stay still, there will
be blood, the needle burns
but you’ll get used to it,
even come to crave the pain,

beg the artist to go ape, which
is to say epic, on your body,
turn the skin into a text
that keeps on unscrolling—
the most gruesome images
make the biggest impression.

I write this poem because
I too work with ink.

William Heath has published four poetry books: The Walking Man, Steel Valley Elegy, Going Places, Alms for Oblivion; three chapbooks: Night Moves in Ohio, Leaving Seville, Inventing the Americas; three novels: The Children Bob Moses Led (winner of the Hackney Award), Devil Dancer, Blacksnake’s Path; a history, William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest (winner of two Spur Awards and the Oliver Hazard Perry Award); a book of interviews, Conversations with Robert Stone. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Hiram College. He lives in Annapolis. www.williamheathbooks.com