The Tattooed Poets Project: Shann Ray

Today's tattooed poet is <a href="http://www.shannray.com/blog/">Shann Ray</a>, who sent us this photo of his tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0syzDNEI6jorQKjMUhq7bk8pyKYGV0IhH8Pf4i5WFypEhgFUCHnlpAuEiUUpqeDSBDlxuI-DdzU6_5NpaXpSzypbmSGHXkK-L1Lz6XpCMgILGd8MrYWrLJ6JnLF-u54VNEiaBN_XPVQ/s572/shann+tattoo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0syzDNEI6jorQKjMUhq7bk8pyKYGV0IhH8Pf4i5WFypEhgFUCHnlpAuEiUUpqeDSBDlxuI-DdzU6_5NpaXpSzypbmSGHXkK-L1Lz6XpCMgILGd8MrYWrLJ6JnLF-u54VNEiaBN_XPVQ/s400/shann+tattoo.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br />He explains:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I got this tattoo the year I married my wife Jennifer, a bright fire of a girl who has only increased in incandescence. We've been together 27 years now and have 3 daughters. The lion symbolizes the mysterious sacred text notion that the lion is the inverse of the lamb. In the Christian tradition, Christ who was called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_of_Judah">Lion of Judah</a> appeared as a lamb that was slain. This is a reminder to me to sacrifice the self-embedded ways that sometimes arise in me and live with a generous and kind heart toward Jennifer for the rest of my life. The lion and the thorns remind me to help create the milieu of our marriage to be one in which Jennifer is deeply loved, respected, and given hope for each new day. What a life it has been with her! I still love this tattoo. It is like a secret kindness between us that reminds us all we share. </blockquote>When I asked if he recalled the artist who did this, he explained,<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"The guy did become famous for tattooing the stars. It was in Garden Grove down in the greater Los Angeles area. Can’t recall his name or the name of the shop. All tribal oriented tattooing." </blockquote>By way of a poem, Shann sent us this:<br /><br />NIGHT OVER THE SAPPHIRE RANGE, WESTERN MONTANA<br /><br />Tomorrow you lead<br />the people in worship<br />but tonight let me hear you<br />in the quiet strength of our bedroom<br />where I watch silver birds fly<br />from your mouth and remember<br />how you break me all the way down.<br /><br />How good it is to be<br />a vessel for the song<br />of this everyday world.<br /><br />Cup my hand to your hipbone<br />and give me darkness through the window.<br /><br /> ~ ~ ~<br /><br />Shann Ray is a poet and prose writer whose work has appeared in some of the nation’s leading literary venues including <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/245140">Poetry</a>, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932416064/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1932416064%22%3EMcSweeney's%20Issue%2012:%20Unpublished,%20Unknown,%20&%20or%20Unbelievable%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1932416064%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">McSweeney’s</a>, <a href="http://storyquarterly.camden.rutgers.edu/index.php">StoryQuarterly</a>, <a href="http://nwr.uoregon.edu/">the Northwest Review</a>, <a href="http://www.bestnewpoets.org/">Best New Poets</a>, <a href="http://themontanaquarterly.com/">Montana Quarterly</a> and <a href="http://poetryinternational.sdsu.edu/">Poetry International</a>. A <a href="http://www.nea.gov/">National Endowment for the Arts</a> Fellow, he is the winner of the <a href="http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc/bakeless_prize">Breadloaf Writers’ Conference Bakeless Prize</a>, the <a href="http://ci.billings.mt.us/index.aspx?nid=1180">High Plains Book Award</a>, the <a href="http://www.bookweb.org/btw/awards/The-American-Book-Awards---Before-Columbus-Foundation.html">American Book Award</a>, the <a href="http://subterrain.ca/">Subterrain Poetry Prize</a>, and the <a href="http://www.crabcreekreview.org/">Crab Creek Review Fiction Award</a>. He is the author of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555975887/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1555975887%22%3EAmerican%20Masculine:%20Stories%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1555975887%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">American Masculine</a> (<a href="http://www.graywolfpress.org/">Graywolf</a>), and<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0739169483/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0739169483%22%3EForgiveness%20and%20Power%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Atrocity:%20Servant%20Leadership%20as%20a%20Way%20of%20Life%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0739169483%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E"> Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity</a> (<a href="https://rowman.com/RLPublishers">Rowman & Littlefield/Lexington</a>). His book of poems called <u>Balefire</u> will appear with <a href="http://www.losthorsepress.org/">Lost Horse Press</a> in the near future. He lives with his wife and three daughters in Spokane, Washington where he teaches leadership and forgiveness studies at <a href="http://www.gonzaga.edu/">Gonzaga University</a>. His website is <a href="http://www.shannray.com/">www.shannray.com</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Shann Ray for sharing his tattoo and poem with us here on The Tattooed Poets Project!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1555975887" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0739169483" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday. </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Shann Ray

Today's tattooed poet is Shann Ray , who sent us this photo of his tattoo: He explains: I got this tattoo the year I married my wife Jen...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: Michael Henry Lee

Today's tattoo was submitted by Michael Henry Lee:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLViE3VKXMI9SZRNBfESZHgv-wbhPI7YrmuluPTpI1PkQJEirym3kAQb3NWpXZrQf23NZc64K3cLLNmBv1yU5AwMLdgtHhXADg2zPA4kudzB_6mKRy_oJ_g09JBLcMGEag_UCNdy8vaN0/s1600/michael+henry+lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLViE3VKXMI9SZRNBfESZHgv-wbhPI7YrmuluPTpI1PkQJEirym3kAQb3NWpXZrQf23NZc64K3cLLNmBv1yU5AwMLdgtHhXADg2zPA4kudzB_6mKRy_oJ_g09JBLcMGEag_UCNdy8vaN0/s400/michael+henry+lee.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Michael Henry Lee</td></tr></tbody></table>There's a lot going on here, so let's let Michael explain:<br /><br /><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"The work pictured began about 36 years ago in Kansas City, Mo. I only remember the artist's name as John. The piece started with the stylized exotic bird's head that John took credit for as his own. A few years later I found the same piece on the back of a <a href="http://www.mountainrockband.com/">Mountain</a> album cover. Imagine. Fast forward a couple of decades to a fantastic shop [<a href="http://soulexpressionstattoo.com/home.html">Soul Expressions Tattoo Studio</a>] in Temecula Ca. and an artist named <a href="http://soulexpressionstattoo.com/section/182964_Daniel_Adair.html">Dan Adair</a>. The sun and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_of_Judah">Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah</a> were added there. The sun was David's design and the Lion comes from the Ethiopian flag borrowed from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley_%26_The_Wailers">Bob Marley</a> album. The conceptual idea was mine and is meant to be symbolic of the Christian trinity: Father (as the sun), the Son (as the Conquering Lion) and our old buddy the bird (as the holy spirit). The seven is symbolic of the biblical number of completion and is repeated three times. The piece was just retouched and colored last year in Saint Augustine, Florida, by Tattoo Mike from <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=9gG&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=tattoo+garden+st+augustine+fl&fb=1&gl=us&hq=tattoo+garden&hnear=St+Augustine,+FL&cid=570080614392525222">Tattoo Garden</a>."</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div></blockquote>Michael also offered up several short poems, including some haiku:<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"tattoo impressions"</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">    van goes home </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">stepping out in a starry night    </span></b><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">first appeared in graffiti kolkata Aug 2010)</span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">~ </span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">tattoo garden</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> the blush returns</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> to mother's rose</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">~</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What Love’s Got to do with It</span></u><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It was rumored of late</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">that Love;</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">is suffering from a stolen identity</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Eros has hacked into Agape</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">like the evil twin exchanged at birth;</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">     Ying for Yang</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">           The Pauper for the Prince</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                    Cain for Abel</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The imposter has taken control</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">using seduction and guile</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">to manipulate the hearts and minds </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">of whoever might be deceived</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love’s calling all investors</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Setting the record straight</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Distancing itself from a nefarious sibling</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love does not </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          sell cars, clothes, food, or personal hygiene products</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love knows</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          the grass isn’t greener in the next field,</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          and besides brown is highly underrated anyway</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love always makes deposits</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          but not withdrawals</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love is patient as water</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          smoothing stone           </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love knows the worst</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          but hopes for the best</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love bites its tongue and swallows its pride</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love looks at the heart</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          not: boobs, biceps, or bank accounts</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love is the first one into a burning building </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">          an the last one off a sinking ship</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love builds </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">         Marriages</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">             Families</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                  and  Nations </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                                                            </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love is an invisible necessity</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">         like  time, gravity, and oxygen</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Love is beyond time and space</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Eternal</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unconditional</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                          a</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                         gift</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                    a promise</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">            one poured out for all  </span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                     that they</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                       might</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                        know</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                         that</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                         God</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                           is</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                           L</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                           O</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                           V</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bodoni MT","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">                           E</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">"What Love's Got to do with It" first appeared in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heart-Pour-The-Love-Book/195634107114411?sk=wall">Heart Pour The Love Book</a> from <a href="http://poetplant.blogspot.com/">Poet Plant Press</a>, 2011</span></b></span></i></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">~</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Michael Henry Lee is a husband, father and grandfather. He and his wife of 30 years reside in St. Augustine, Florida; the nation’s oldest city, along with two cats, and numerous bonsai trees.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Michael is a member of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ancient-City-Poets/279133290875?sk=wall">Ancient City Poets</a> and the <a href="http://www.hsa-haiku.org/">Haiku Society of America</a>. The last Sunday of every month generally finds him at the Heart Pour Matinee; an open mic poetry reading that features seasoned artists as well as new talents. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Mr. Lee serves as contributing co-editor for Poet Plant Press, and is a frequent contributor to <a href="http://haikunews.org/">Haiku News</a>, and Haiku Ramblings. His work has appeared in <a href="http://cobaltcrowproductions.blogspot.com/">Berry Blue Haiku</a>, and <a href="http://www.graffitikolkata.com/home.htm">Graffiti Kolkata</a> He was voted among the favorites in the 2009 <i>Alibi Weekly</i> annual haiku contest, and was awarded third place prize in the Yukei Teikei Annual Tokutomi Haiku Contest for 2010.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Mr. Lee is quoted as saying “my objective is to express the good news and mystery of life in every breath, through the simplicity of haiku”.</div><br />Thanks to Michael Henry Lee for sharing his tattoo and his work with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. The poems are reprinted here with the permission of the author.<br /><br />If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Michael Henry Lee

Today's tattoo was submitted by Michael Henry Lee: Photo courtesy of Michael Henry Lee There's a lot going on here, so let's let...

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Jesse's Religious Experience

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7lNGSZaoSRnPwOyCArSRgIR3JJUMtDu4mTFHDRSk0ZW1OZAbYgJdzSHuI1ZIqsJ3Gw7aNGB5sG2MuIuJ_4jfJ_xHT1CBWCpRGCmxTiqHTev_rMWC2s0XIddDWRw9i61t6EMIVw937J-d/s1600-h/jesus.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257708121114847938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7lNGSZaoSRnPwOyCArSRgIR3JJUMtDu4mTFHDRSk0ZW1OZAbYgJdzSHuI1ZIqsJ3Gw7aNGB5sG2MuIuJ_4jfJ_xHT1CBWCpRGCmxTiqHTev_rMWC2s0XIddDWRw9i61t6EMIVw937J-d/s400/jesus.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Religious imagery is among the most popular of themes in tattoo art. There is, to the shrinking minority of people who don't like tattoos, a greater level of acceptance of Christian-themed body art.<br /><br />[Jewish tattoos are coming along, but the majority of Jews have fundamental issues with ink on Jews. Islamic tattoos are less common, and I can't speak to their acceptance. Eastern religious tattoos may be the most popular of religious ink, but there is a greater understang of body art when it comes to Hindu and Buddhist themes. But I digress.]<br /><br />I generally avoid talking to people about full sleeves, but when I started talking to Jesse while we were browsing the books at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea,_Manhattan">Chelsea</a> <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/salvation-army-new-york-23">Salvation Army</a> store, it was clear that his right sleeve, which continued onto his chest, was the most important work he had.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEQXEHsGkjeEdavBKYzuGBTLpZqlVT9PXO5-ZfUMxEkdMDviVWm0heGUD61dWjQ4dwAcA4sXhyaMw6FtQTFJ-j4_aEp73AUT8KAq8Xd59QILrjqPQ27765tzNQLohUi79i4bgYg2QYMBY/s1600-h/religious+sleeve.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257708524359988210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEQXEHsGkjeEdavBKYzuGBTLpZqlVT9PXO5-ZfUMxEkdMDviVWm0heGUD61dWjQ4dwAcA4sXhyaMw6FtQTFJ-j4_aEp73AUT8KAq8Xd59QILrjqPQ27765tzNQLohUi79i4bgYg2QYMBY/s400/religious+sleeve.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Jesse's ink is a reflection of his faith. It is inspired by religious images that he has come across while visiting churches in Europe. He couldn't give me the specific locations of the art which inspired his work (Rome, Paris), but I'd be happy to hear from readers who may recognize the<br />work.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsN2z1OalTOA7CciZwhJ73SsHKfWDS-Enyoy19GJK4RUtxn1A3cYdLokhLiclBar0zM6HlkfNwtVKxGIHT4yqSrrSkyVt7QcZavjCtpED_p5DWg1rv2n_WHuU1jP8TWYy8Re0BLvSdY99/s1600-h/virgin+mary.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257708304445066258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsN2z1OalTOA7CciZwhJ73SsHKfWDS-Enyoy19GJK4RUtxn1A3cYdLokhLiclBar0zM6HlkfNwtVKxGIHT4yqSrrSkyVt7QcZavjCtpED_p5DWg1rv2n_WHuU1jP8TWYy8Re0BLvSdY99/s400/virgin+mary.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Aside from the obvious depictions of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, Jesse also pulled up his shirt to show me the most recent of his ten tattoos, which was the extension of his sleeve into his chest:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a5qXpPKNS61QIKnp3EE7Ku6G5iA2II5i7AYvtd8v0V7wndPQf1J98pl6Fa-2dMfyKaYTWt93Z4xbli_kaAdEGgMF1S4sYveuoDAtdUtlj2f0ukXTR1JfemzwMD5XtasXNrGU_5Di1YSE/s1600-h/cherub.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257707993960432578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a5qXpPKNS61QIKnp3EE7Ku6G5iA2II5i7AYvtd8v0V7wndPQf1J98pl6Fa-2dMfyKaYTWt93Z4xbli_kaAdEGgMF1S4sYveuoDAtdUtlj2f0ukXTR1JfemzwMD5XtasXNrGU_5Di1YSE/s400/cherub.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />All of this work was done by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mikepastoretattoos">Mike Pastore</a> at <a href="http://www.mikepastore.com/80/hubpage.html">Masterpiece Tattoo</a> in Staten Island, New York. Work from Masterpiece has appeared previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Masterpiece%20Tattoo">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Jesse for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Jesse's Religious Experience

Religious imagery is among the most popular of themes in tattoo art. There is, to the shrinking minority of people who don't like tattoo...

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Saint Lucy Graces David's Arm

<span style="font-style: italic;">**This post was updated for clarification of facts on October 13, 2008.<br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwgedYUkkpf-oFydZnPOKoXL4Jf3_2wjXl_DTgQ1n31VTrJ8tNj1NMhn6OO229ju7iFFG_SLHE0yzVoOnr5iqvXoh0-RoXvuDTwzgVxYEHWVZYh7JPB1lCGHl4SsMNJn81uIBYYz2QgQU/s1600-h/st.lucy1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256262738731551842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwgedYUkkpf-oFydZnPOKoXL4Jf3_2wjXl_DTgQ1n31VTrJ8tNj1NMhn6OO229ju7iFFG_SLHE0yzVoOnr5iqvXoh0-RoXvuDTwzgVxYEHWVZYh7JPB1lCGHl4SsMNJn81uIBYYz2QgQU/s400/st.lucy1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />As Autumn advances on New York, tattoos have been less frequently spotted by yours truly, but a recent streak of warmer temperatures have extended the season just a bit.<br /><br />I spotted the above piece on David's right bicep last Saturday at a <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/09/30/2008-09-30_perishable_bay_ridge_greenmarket.html">green market in Bay Ridge</a>, Brooklyn.<br /><br />The tattoo was inked as a result of David taking care of a neighbor's dogs for a spell up in Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1992. The neighbor had grown up in Syracuse, New York. and attended <a href="http://www.slcny.org/">St. Lucy's Church</a> there. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_Sicily">original Syracuse</a>, in the province of Syracuse, in the region of Sicily, in Southern Italy, was where Saint Lucy was born and martyred. She is also known as the Patroness of Syracuse.<br /><br />David and his neighbor had a mutual friend who was a tattoo artist and the neighbor arranged for the artist to do the tattoo for David as a form of payment for the favor.<br /><br />The basis for the artwork, which is a portrait of <a href="http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75">Saint Lucy</a>, was a <a href="http://www.janesaddiction.com/janesaddiction.html">Jane's Addiction</a> concert t-shirt, circa 1991 and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_de_lo_Habitual" style="font-style: italic;">Ritual de la Habitual</a> tour. The tattooist had a close affinity for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy">Saint Lucy</a>, as he had gone to a church named for her, and she is the patron saint for the blind.<br /><br />I was unable to find art on the shirt, but I did find the following poster art:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDS4uFM8FAhRuN_4vRSSBenlFUklIP5TDLK47aYdfYKoo5Wzywv1vLwZ9aMs3NjcvBdDPF4SNJbBReguUbQa6hB1Lupyp7JkLs-3AxCRNDX9cyXLfnVFq14L77TrAukByZ_z33Xz6LAVa/s1600-h/19910219_janes_poster.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256268489855420834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDS4uFM8FAhRuN_4vRSSBenlFUklIP5TDLK47aYdfYKoo5Wzywv1vLwZ9aMs3NjcvBdDPF4SNJbBReguUbQa6hB1Lupyp7JkLs-3AxCRNDX9cyXLfnVFq14L77TrAukByZ_z33Xz6LAVa/s400/19910219_janes_poster.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />and this additional image, credited to a prayer card, which bears a striking resemblance, and may in fact be the basis for the concert poster and shirt art:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QA9m-LDdS30xwAe9Ca5HDrEqBLyyDps-8l5ksIa5HRqr0AwdN7vG6TwEOjd_6L-B86G_sjuaH52DNzJ-gbiFJhbtw5rGKYusSNB9lS80wgZIk1TqOW_0y8v6y7fVQIT66B1HkO-7OWsQ/s1600-h/bluelucy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256264606813159762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QA9m-LDdS30xwAe9Ca5HDrEqBLyyDps-8l5ksIa5HRqr0AwdN7vG6TwEOjd_6L-B86G_sjuaH52DNzJ-gbiFJhbtw5rGKYusSNB9lS80wgZIk1TqOW_0y8v6y7fVQIT66B1HkO-7OWsQ/s400/bluelucy.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>David indicates that the shirt looked more like the prayer card than the poster.<br /><br />According to her story, her eyes were gouged out prior to her execution, and as a result, when depicted in art, two eyes appear on a plate in the portrait. In the case of this tattoo, they appear to the left of the piece:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pRBgL8yuj05276tx0Wwk2CIfHIMZ_cDLO18snIvjli74WE0Gytugz7r8hZ-wbl1_cP0HiyWEG-4GOOe2l1i8kS8drptm6y2KOlseqBeK-vWmQeaAhmXErBvvgNgx_4NX3fTyO-XigEaE/s1600-h/st+lucy+plate2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256264511826775650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pRBgL8yuj05276tx0Wwk2CIfHIMZ_cDLO18snIvjli74WE0Gytugz7r8hZ-wbl1_cP0HiyWEG-4GOOe2l1i8kS8drptm6y2KOlseqBeK-vWmQeaAhmXErBvvgNgx_4NX3fTyO-XigEaE/s400/st+lucy+plate2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Her eyes are often regarded as holy relics.<br /><br />David also admires her as she is seen as one of the earliest feminist figures in Christianity. He also notes that he gave his friend/neighbor the concert t-shirt which inspired the tattoo, due to his relationship with St. Lucy's Church in Syracuse, NY.<br /><br />Thanks to David for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Saint Lucy Graces David's Arm

**This post was updated for clarification of facts on October 13, 2008. As Autumn advances on New York, tattoos have been less frequently s...

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Vincent Bears the Spear of Longinus

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_-qzM-nwPa00mmi-GAQA_iTtAFCnLLLv28v19ybc0skCaptxhnk50ctuFp7AzhKcFYE_wRJG0e9b2Gq3iXiYDSg06HZdjJ_Euv0mrbEbCG2Npi2d8quu4LyKZBhbf9XDQ4NjhCaDzFEh/s1600-h/PICT0532.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238556915748945106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_-qzM-nwPa00mmi-GAQA_iTtAFCnLLLv28v19ybc0skCaptxhnk50ctuFp7AzhKcFYE_wRJG0e9b2Gq3iXiYDSg06HZdjJ_Euv0mrbEbCG2Npi2d8quu4LyKZBhbf9XDQ4NjhCaDzFEh/s400/PICT0532.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I met Vincent Corrigan on the way to the subway on 33rd Street between 7th and 6th Avenues. It was a giant arm piece that crawled up under his shirt and onto his shoulder that first caught my eye.<br /><br />However, he offered up the piece above and, in the course of speaking with him, I took pictures of three other tattoos that were notable. I am going to discuss them in reverse order.<br /><br />First, this piece may be familiar to many:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvGw7NUC7BVVAZSAyJ6rZzf-7lOJvjMIa-aZuf7moRlU84Npch9LEwUfVoGyoGzYp8qi5Qip3I4y-u-z4k5lwbG84MZIrxjwm26fcpsasSjH6I_3EFbNopVEvxvVkNgFWFpF5mXbTBqGJ/s1600-h/PICT0534.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238558421649210050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvGw7NUC7BVVAZSAyJ6rZzf-7lOJvjMIa-aZuf7moRlU84Npch9LEwUfVoGyoGzYp8qi5Qip3I4y-u-z4k5lwbG84MZIrxjwm26fcpsasSjH6I_3EFbNopVEvxvVkNgFWFpF5mXbTBqGJ/s400/PICT0534.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />That's the <a href="http://landingpage.guinness.com/Gateway-en-row.htm?Lang=en-us&BrandId=SO&RefUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.guinness.com%2fTemplates%2fRedirectToGateway.aspx%3fNRMODE%3dPublished%26NRNODEGUID%3d%257b7892FE09-EC41-4F5B-A336-9EAC47569C2F%257d%26NRORIGINALURL%3d%252f%26NRCACHEHINT%3dGuest">Guinness</a> harp, a trademark recognizable to beer connoisseurs:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZrjkdIAHzOMrcZwPJO9nu-v4JwgKTOsSave35vbd3drgHmLpa06DAp0h9EkZ3uzG7l3M99ydRpJGjoHdtrvQ0lpfhoeaihbKVvsWLQjh4cNtyuYvS2cKaZs6bP6CFoPQr7r_66llZj1x/s1600-h/guinness_harp.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238584648742954994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZrjkdIAHzOMrcZwPJO9nu-v4JwgKTOsSave35vbd3drgHmLpa06DAp0h9EkZ3uzG7l3M99ydRpJGjoHdtrvQ0lpfhoeaihbKVvsWLQjh4cNtyuYvS2cKaZs6bP6CFoPQr7r_66llZj1x/s400/guinness_harp.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 314px;" /></a><br />Not to overstate the obvious, but Guinness is a dry stout beer that originated in Dublin, and is thus a matter of pride for the Irish. Mr. Corrigan, as one might venture from his surname, is of Irish ancestry.<br /><br />The harp is on the top of his left bicep and is one of his older pieces. In fact, he credits <a href="http://www.brooklyntattoo.com/RYOKOBIO%20.html">Ryoko</a> at <a href="http://www.brooklyntattoo.com/WELCOME.html">Brooklyn Tattoo</a> for taking what was previously a bit of shoddy inkwork, revitalizing it with some excellent restoration and making a respectable tattoo out of it.<br /><br />Further down the arm, on Vincent's inner left forearm, are two symbols I recognized immediately:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3Sb4I_9VVsx4Dw1ZcePVwTQLc7xGZ_-BOVlflghX0pl9hyVdQsBXuqbjbEFTnxvG1dVjOPegXuKQNaPLrYrBDs0jp4PPY1QBEd4rahVI04WZb5zY61qVr2c84OhtrlJVZ0DDDaY38Nzf/s1600-h/PICT0533.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238558759593677794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3Sb4I_9VVsx4Dw1ZcePVwTQLc7xGZ_-BOVlflghX0pl9hyVdQsBXuqbjbEFTnxvG1dVjOPegXuKQNaPLrYrBDs0jp4PPY1QBEd4rahVI04WZb5zY61qVr2c84OhtrlJVZ0DDDaY38Nzf/s400/PICT0533.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />The top one is the logo familiar to fans of the band <a href="http://www.audioslave.com/">Audioslave</a>. The fiery emblem appeared on the band's debut album cover.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J6nZSG3VdnJleUFcWIod5bDbAuuko3OrORPb6ivkA5A33jNrbPLNk3d8M06SDm77tIeuYPIOuUbmFtU_a0s7nfEM57XXfovdm8DXgttSL7Y-3zeYIg3gmWuKup13tV5zQE2alN3KiSfh/s1600-h/audioslave_-_audioslave-front.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238585917742266818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J6nZSG3VdnJleUFcWIod5bDbAuuko3OrORPb6ivkA5A33jNrbPLNk3d8M06SDm77tIeuYPIOuUbmFtU_a0s7nfEM57XXfovdm8DXgttSL7Y-3zeYIg3gmWuKup13tV5zQE2alN3KiSfh/s200/audioslave_-_audioslave-front.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><br />Vince is a singer and a huge fan of the singer <a href="http://www.chriscornell.com/">Chris Cornell</a> (lead singer of Audioslave, and more famously, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundgarden">Soundgarden</a>).<br />I also am a fan of Cornell's (although I haven't seen him in concert,<br />unlike Vince who guesses he's seen him twenty times).<br /><br />Below the Audioslave logo is one of the four runes representing band members from <a href="http://www.ledzeppelin.com/">Led Zeppelin</a>:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5UxZTa2emLXuKg8l8Sr3ZjONclWHGCpPcdlrIGXBWiaVMRLNzofmsXlZ9AYL1wGpoNJPhqLbxGexhX4yEUK4t5X9JLEA912AWOUYKdLueTV2w30wfQiiJ85kTHlcyp_HF0nF2ZfIFhjg/s1600-h/zep4ad.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238588240879519778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5UxZTa2emLXuKg8l8Sr3ZjONclWHGCpPcdlrIGXBWiaVMRLNzofmsXlZ9AYL1wGpoNJPhqLbxGexhX4yEUK4t5X9JLEA912AWOUYKdLueTV2w30wfQiiJ85kTHlcyp_HF0nF2ZfIFhjg/s320/zep4ad.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />These runes appeared first on the band's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin_IV">fourth album</a>. The rune tattooed on Vincent's arm is the one on the far right and according to Wikipedia:<br /><blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Plant" title="Robert Plant">Robert Plant</a>'s symbol is the feather of the Egyptian goddess <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%27at" title="Ma'at">Ma'at</a>, representing truth, justice, fairness and writing, encapsulated by an unbroken circle representing life. According to Egyptian mythology, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osiris" title="Osiris">Osiris</a>, the god of judgment and death, would take the heart of those who died and put it on a balance with the feather of Ma'at. If the heart outweighed the feather, the person's soul would go to hell, but on the other hand, if the heart was lighter than the feather, the soul would go to heaven.</div></blockquote><br />However, Plant's rune is significant to Vincent because he is the lead singer.<br /><br />And now to the amazing piece at the top of this post, well worth another look:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TrSmLMS-wd0UQ_ZtQhiPAobwXYNp84TDr5g6TLaErcrIcy7CwHohWRXgeTHsgGWrSMDBq0NKbGxeQfXEwGuf2Fd7eW35S4p5ixSNyMiIl3u6Y9w1vN5NYbs0-dvFfPPvnF_Irhk5mHR9/s1600-h/spear2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238558081464481858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-TrSmLMS-wd0UQ_ZtQhiPAobwXYNp84TDr5g6TLaErcrIcy7CwHohWRXgeTHsgGWrSMDBq0NKbGxeQfXEwGuf2Fd7eW35S4p5ixSNyMiIl3u6Y9w1vN5NYbs0-dvFfPPvnF_Irhk5mHR9/s400/spear2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Vincent indicates that this is the "Spear of Longinus," one of the many names given to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Lance">The Holy Lance</a>, which was the weapon used to pierce the side of Jesus Christ during the Crucifixion.<br /><br />The name <a href="http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Vincent">Vincent</a> has an origin in the meaning of the word conqueror and the surname <a href="http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Corrigan">Corrigan</a><br />derives from a root word which means "spear" or "lance". It is this primary parallel that gave Vincent the urge to ink this relic of Christianity onto his arm. It appears that the tattoo is modeled after the Hofburg Spear which is kept in Vienna.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM08hCK488EsULguzTVsWYm8-VJwrkQVT3Ds3RmExWH4_m_f6uCjTqsOLa19VPOcrX21IuWUYs7U1tsboaoJEi3rMJYWarkpAT57foDhGNBsE0G5bQV0Xzt-GzP5OU_G_znjoEIXu7HyE/s1600-h/holy-lance.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238595427628536258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM08hCK488EsULguzTVsWYm8-VJwrkQVT3Ds3RmExWH4_m_f6uCjTqsOLa19VPOcrX21IuWUYs7U1tsboaoJEi3rMJYWarkpAT57foDhGNBsE0G5bQV0Xzt-GzP5OU_G_znjoEIXu7HyE/s320/holy-lance.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />This spear is an object of fascination in literature and the arts, often as the subject matter for narratives pertaining to the Crusades, with a link in some cases to Ireland. This brings the spear of Longinus an additional link to Vincent's pride in his Irish ancestry.<br /><br />The spear tattoo, along with the Audioslave and Robert Plant tattoos, was inked by artist <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ericwigger">Eric Wigger</a> at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/devilsrosetattoo">The Devil's Rose Tattoo</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Point,_New_York">Blue Point, New York</a>, on Long Island.<br /><br />Thanks to Vincent for sharing all his ink with us here at Tattoosday!

Vincent Bears the Spear of Longinus

I met Vincent Corrigan on the way to the subway on 33rd Street between 7th and 6th Avenues. It was a giant arm piece that crawled up under h...

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