This is an amazing tat. Really lovely sentiment and lovely line work in the design. Congrats.

The quotes has deep meaning

got the tattoo when I was going through a series of events I ended up losing a large number of those who were close to me. I got to a point where I was absolutely miserable and couldn’t find a good reason to wake up in the morning. I work in dorms and during my hard times some of my residents who I’d helped quite a bit throughout the year saw through my “I’m fine”’s and would come to me and would talk to me about all the different ways I’d helped them. In the midst of everything piling up it just reminded me that despite whatever BS I’ve gone through if I’m still able to wake up in the morning and help make someone else’s life better then my own will always have meaning. (The little flurries you see around the text are from a dandelion that’s on my back.)

IF I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
- Emily Dickinson, Not In Vain

Very touching. I hope the dark days are behind you, and am glad you had such friends to come to your aid when you needed it.

hey i love your tattoo. i am about to get three dandilions on my right shoudler. i love your tattoo. i was wondering if you had a pic of the dandelion itself.

I love the quote and the whole story behind your tattoo…I have been looking into getting a dandelion tattoo and was wondering if you have a picture of it… :)

I’m thinking about getting ‘I shall not live in vain’ on my wrist next week. I love yours!

I love this! Do you have a picture of the back?

whoever you are, whereever you are,
do me a favor(just kidding.)
But, seriously-send this to the Oprah show.
at times typos get me. Molly

I really love your tattoo and the meaning behind its beautiful.

love this tattoo. i would love to see how it looks from the back

haven’t been back to the site in a while…but this is my shoulder.

thank you all for the kind words- i’m having much happier times now and it still helps remind me of how lucky i am these days and how i can still be motivated to help those who aren’t as fortunate!

i’ve got a photo of the back and those of you who’d like to see it just email me at justmekt85@aol.com and i’ll send it to you!

Emily Dickinson is one of my favorite poets…I love this tattoo…and I really like your website, this is the only one of its kind…dedicated specifically to literary tattoos…nowadays, textual tattoos are getting more and more popular….great job!

I love how this curves around you — it very unique, yet very beautiful.

wow, this is beautiful.
a local choir in my town that I was in, recently sang this at our finale.
as a song, its odd and tiptoes around melodies like they’re erratic and playful.
its beautiful, and so strange.
but all in all, you’ve executed the poem and the quote in a wonderful way thats suited to you.
and there’s no better use for words. (:

[...] “Literary Tattoos”; example: “I shall not live in vain”,  “hope is the thing with [...]

Love the design of this, integrating text into the dandelion wisps, in addition to the part of the poem you chose.