Like a Tattoo

Rub me with alcohol
Just to puncture my skin
Take the most vulnerable part of me
and draw blood with sharpness of tongue.
Study my every curve
so you learn how to make it hurt less
Outline my dreams
with your needle,
dark black promises of forever
and permanence.
Please, give me a break
The bones that hold my heart
are numb.
Moving is pain, but the small cuts
in my skin are breathing forgiveness
And now you're back
Pinching and pulling and
coloring me red,
and pink,
and blue,
and purple,
and beautiful
That's why they say the joy
burns out the pain.