“Hurihia to aroaro ki te ra tukuna to atarangi kia taka ki muri i a koe.”
Submitted by Toan:
Its an old maori proverb meaning “turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you”.
Need I say more.
Archive for July 2008
Submitted by Michele Polak:
“In women’s speech, as in their writing, that element which never stops resonating, which, once we’ve been permeated by it, profoundly and imperceptibly touched but it, retains the power of moving us—that element is the song: the first music from the first voice of love which is alive in every woman. Why this privileged relationship with the voice? Because no woman stockpiles as many defenses for countering the drives as does a man. You don’t build walls around yourself, you don’t forego pleasure as “wisely” as he. Even if phallic mystification has generally contaminated good relationships, a woman is never far from “mother” (I mean outside her role functions: the “mother as noname and as source of goods). There is always within her at least a little of that good mother’s milk. She writes in white ink.”
- Hélène Cixous
Brigette says:
I have a tattoo very closely based on the original rocking-horse fly illustration from Through the Looking Glass (1871), the sequel to Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. John Tenniel was the illustrator; these prints were made with woodblocks.
Photo from her tattoo artist’s portfolio:
“Well, there’s the Horse-fly,” Alice began, counting off the names on her fingers.
“All right,” said the Gnat: “half way up that bush, you’ll see a Rocking-horse-fly, if you look. It’s made entirely of wood, and gets about by swinging itself from branch to branch.”
“What does it live on?” Alice asked, with great curiosity.
“Sap and sawdust,” said the Gnat. “Go on with the list.”
Alice looked up at the Rocking-horse-fly with great interest, and made up her mind that it must have been just repainted, it looked so bright and sticky; and then she went on.
- Excerpt from Through the Looking-Glass
This tattoo was submitted by Daphne, who says: “My tattoo is a quote by Gandhi that I saw on the wall of his ashram in Ahmedabad.”
“My life is my message.”
- Gandhi
Tattoo submitted by Amy from Dallas:
Oh please
Look please lover lay down
Oh please lover lay down
And you weep
Lover lay down
Cause it’s over
Lover lay down
Say love, say love, say love, say love, say love
Could I love you
Could you love me
Darling it’s
All the same
‘Til we dance away
Chasing me all around
Leading me all around
Leading me all around in circles
Leading me all around in circles
Say…
- Excerpt from Dave Matthews Band’s Lover Lay Down
This tattoo was submitted by Seraph.
ellipsis \i-ˈlip-səs, e-\
n.
A mark or series of marks ( . . . or * * * , for example) used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
- From ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ by Dylan Thomas
This tattoo was submitted by dylan Snow, who says:
Years ago when I showed this tattoo to my grandmother (who once kicked a man out of her house for having an earring) she told me she approved. It was her grandmother’s favorite poem and favorite poet.
This Harriet the Spy
It’s supposed to be a permanent reminder not to leave my notebooks around where other people will read them.
Tattoo submitted by Jenna Bredesen (of “those who matter don’t mind“):
Stumble don’t rumble
‘Cause you might get killed
Sip but don’t tip
‘Cause your beer you might spill
Think what you feel
‘Cause your feelings don’t think
Here at the office,
We know just one drink
- Chorus of “Office
Submitted by Jenna Bredesen:
“Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.”
- Bernard Baruch, in response to disputed seating arrangements. (This quotation is often misattributed to Dr. Seuss.)
This tattoo is the owner’s full name in Elvish.
- Inspired by The Lord of the Rings
Submitted by Nogoldformarfa:
He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath—”The horror! The horror!”
- From Heart of Darkness
Submitted by Doc Luben:
I’m with you in Rockland
where you laugh at this invisible humor
I’m with you in Rockland
where we are great writers on the same dreadful typewriter
I’m with you in Rockland
where your condition has become serious and is reported on the radio
I’m with you in Rockland
where the faculties of the skull no longer admit the worms of the senses
- Excerpt from Allen Ginsberg’s Howl
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. ”
- from Le Petit Prince
“For love—I would
split open your head and put
a candle in
behind the eyes.”
- From Robert Creeley’s poem The Warning
This tattoo was submitted by Sarah, who says:
Below it is a tiny outline of the Buffalo, NY skyline - it’s the city where I grew up, and the city that haunts me wherever I go. Creeley is a Buffalo poet and I felt that his words were fitting considering my passion for the place.