Poem: Pain from a Phantom Tattoo

A tattoo 
with burning lines 
that stand out 
upon pale skin 
newly inked
still stings
from the bite
of the needle
a trickle of blood
where the points
are not yet healed
but no memory
of when, where
how and why
an indiscretion
not easily hidden
a mark of a 
spontaneous indulgence 
that is quickly regretted.