If You Should See Me

Once a week, for an hour, we work with youth at BronxConnect in groups where they write to tell us about what is going on with them. It can be hard as it requires courage and focus. The writing prompt, 'If You Should See Me' gives the writer an opportunity to challenge stereotypes while asking us to look more closely, at who they are as individuals.

This piece by Savvy tells the story behind her tattoos.

If You Should See Me

If you see me on the streets 9 times out of 10

You only see the ink that runs on my skin

Or the flashy ice that holds on my neck

And if I was to never say a word

Would they know I own my own business?

Would they know I worked hard

For everything I have without handouts?

Do people even take time to understand

The story behind the tattoos?

No, they would only see me wearing my ink

But people don’t understand

What it represents

Everytime the needle touches my skin

It’s like I let go of the pain

Like as if each experience from my past

Disappears in the pain

But it’s not a bad pain

It’s like when you’re crying sometimes you cry tears of joy

Tattoos are pain or joy and pleasure

If I speak upon only the negativity in my life

Would you notice that there’s more positive

They don’t know about my ambitions

They don’t know I strive every day

They don’t know how hard I work everyday

Just not to be labeled as another person from the hood

That didn’t’ make it

I want to be known as someone who worked to be successful

Nonstop everyday 24/7 thinking and moving on action

On how to be a better person

I am me, a tattoo artist

But I bet they don’t know that