twelve-needle injection, stroked on skin with affection

Got a question for you, Internet: would a small tattoo on a man’s lower back still technically be considered a tramp stamp? I saw one on a jogger this morning as I was driving to work and it made me wonder.

Chinese characters, incidentally.

On a white guy.

I guess we’ve evolved as a society so much so that the lack of any personal cultural significance doesn’t necessarily prevent someone from choosing a particular design for their tattoo. Which I’m totally on board with, truth be told, because it means I can finally get “Thug Life” tattooed across my stomach in a nice big calligraphic font. Just like I’ve always dreamed of doing.

But it would seem I’ve gone off on a tangent.

So, would that still be called a tramp stamp? Fag tag is the term that immediately popped into my mind, but that’s already taken.

In Australia, they use the term arse antlers which roughly translates into English as “ass antlers.” And to me at least, “ass antlers” sounds kind of gay.

So yeah, I guess it’s fitting.

Here’s a haiku:

it’s no tribal band,
or barbed wire on your bicep,
but it still looks dumb.

Look alive, Boston! There’s still the matter of our unfinished business, and I’m coming to settle the score.