I want my skin to show 

That I have lived.

Give me your stretch marks,

Sunspots and tattoos, your

Scars and all your stories. 

 

Tell me about that time 

At the beach where you

Got so lost in conversation

You forgot to redo the sunscreen.

 

I want to hear why this

Design jumped out at you

When you were choosing 

What to ink your body with.

 

Tell me about the dark moments,

The skinned knees, the

Embarrassing injuries and the 

Bruises you thought wouldn’t heal.

 

I do not want to go to the grave

Unblemished and pristine.

Each mark is a story.

Keep telling them.