Poem: My Dog Tooth Tattoo

My Dog Tooth Tattoo

(Dedicated to the UTS, Sydney, student bitten by an Alsatian dog during an early morning SWAT raid on a student occupation)

I know that you love me,
But it's not a nice thing to do,
To leave on my arm
A dog tooth tattoo.
I cowered in concrete,
Like a hare in the zoo,
I didn't know it was coming
My dog tooth tattoo.

With love as a forethought,
With light in your eyes,
You tightened the leash on
My coming surprise.
Then, out of the silence,
The hush of his breath,
The silent Alsatian
Near scared me to death.

Just over my elbow,
On my upper arm bare,
Your dog left a necklace
With delicate care.
Did he mean as he did it,
With his timing so fine,
I don't mean to hurt you
These fangs are not mine.

As if he was saying,
As he mastered his phlegm,
I'm sorry for you,
And I've pity for them.
In Dachau and Belsen,
In Ravensbruch, too,
They left many sketches
Of the dog tooth tattoo.

I know that you love me,
But it's not a nice thing to do,
To leave on my arm
A dog tooth tattoo.

Denis Kevans

From GLW issue 320