Apart of You [Poetry]

Scars and Ink

What's it about boys, that makes them crave permanent tattoos,
As soon as they reach the legal age to do so.
My cousin got one on his hands,
one year younger than me,
Just out of school and already marked himself.

Maybe it signifies that he's grown, I wonder,
Or is it just a way to hide the pain inside?
My boyfriend too marks his body with tattoos, I don't know why,
I suppose it just makes them happy, a way to abide.

I mark myself too, just in a different way,
but a mark all the same.
Instead of needles poking into my skin,
Blades are dragged across my legs, a cry for help I claim.
Our marks are different, the meaning they contain,
Mine are desperation, heartbreak, and endless shame.

But a mark is a mark, no matter how it's placed,
When they show their tattoos, people say 'wow, that's great'.
But when I show my scars, their eyes fill with fear and terror,
Asking me if "I'm okay"