Chicago Ink Poem by Ryan McNicholas

My body has changed forever,
The needle piercing my skin,
Making forth an image, the art so clever,
Ink marking my heritage, and my kin.

The needle piercing my skin,
It forms a four-leaved shamrock,
Ink marking my heritage, and my kin,
Watching the clock slowly clicking, tick-tock, tick-tock.

It forms a four-leaved shamrock,
Now forming an orange, white, and green flag,
Watching the clock slowly clicking, tick-tock, tick-tock,
Marking my body, as if it were an Irish tag.

Now forming an orange, white, and green flag,
My body,17 years old, but feeling a new,
Marking my body, as if it were an Irish tag,
For now I’m a walking art, with this new tattoo.