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Trail of Scars: A Poem

Tattoos reveal what you want the world to see, but your scars illustrate your true identity.

Joshua Doyle

Jul 10, 2017

Joshua Doyle

Tattoos are one-sided

skin-sketched ink

revealing

what you want the world to see

but your Scars illustrate your true identity

life’s narrative engraved in blood

revealing our stories

secrets

exposed memories

insecurities

our previous vulnerabilities

hardening

turned rugged and fierce

Evoking fear, in sworn enemies

fantasizing our friends

worrying our families

seducing our lovers

compelling them

like a radiant summer

on Eden’s tide

I still struggle

to reveal mine

etched on my body

a grunge canvas

pinpointing mistakes

and failures

My Right Leg-

Permanently scraped

after a shattered femur

Left Elbow-

Singed with road rash

Left Arm-

A blotch of cancer

cut out of me

But that’s only the surface

beneath it

in the depths

is what haunts me the most

my deepest secret

ingrained in the amygdala

carved into my back

by a blade

signed and sealed

an eternal reminder:

Never turn to the streets

in a time of need

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Trail of Scars: A Poem

Tattoos reveal what you want the world to see, but your scars illustrate your true identity.

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I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1. Watch an R-rated Scary Movie in a Movie Theater

2. Buy a Lottery Ticket

3. Vote in an Election

4. Participate in a Run (or a Walk, Realistically) for Charity

5. Go on a Road Trip

6. Start a Savings Account

7. Get a Credit Card

8. Sign up for Spotify Premium

9. Go to a Club

10. Start a Meditation Routine

11. Go to a Yoga Class

12. Treat Myself to a Dinner for One

13. Volunteer for a Charity

14. Participate in a Research Study

15. Bake Something (That Ends Up Being Edible)

16. Go Skydiving

17. Be Called for Jury Duty

18. Figure Out What I Want to Do With my Life

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1."But what would happen if we all tried to be like Santa and learned to give as only he can give: of ourselves, our talents, our love and our hearts? Maybe we could all learn Santa's beautiful lesson and maybe there would finally be peace on Earth and good will toward men."

"Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

"If you won't use your heart, who cares if it gets broken? If you just keep it to yourself, maybe it'll be like my rollerblades. When you do decide to try it, it won't be any good. You should take a chance. Got nothing to lose."

"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."

"Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it."

"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find a that love actually is all around."

"Sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks. I guess a healthy bottom line doesn't mean much if to get it, you have to hurt the ones you depend on."

"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.'"

"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

"There's room for everyone on the nice list."

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

1. Why are towels considered dirty when you get out of the shower clean?

2. Who closes the bus door once the bus driver gets off?

3. Why is there a "d" in "fridge" but not in "refrigerator"?

4. If you drop soap on the floor is the floor clean or the soap dirty?

5. Is the "S" or the "C" silent in the word "scent"?

6. Does expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?

7. Would Lightning McQueen buy car insurance or life insurance?

8. Who put the alphabet in alphabetical order?

9. What color are mirrors?

10. If 2 mind readers read each other's minds whose mind are they really reading?

11. Is there a synonym for "synonym"?

12. If your shirt isn't tucked into your pants, are your pants tucked into your shirt?

13. Why is it called "quick sand" if you sink slowly in it?

14. If I try to fail, but succeed, which one did I do?

15. If Cinderella's shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?

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