Pale skin, midnight blue ink stains my fingernails from cleaning my pen.

The prep to start, take my pen apart, the nib, the barrel, the cap. all flushed with water, fading from midnight to sky

ink will stain my nails for a few days, my badge of honour

A new cartridge of ink is primed and the pen is reborn

The blood flowing from the pen is the same hue as the veins in my pale skin

Ink or blood, my pen shares them