According to The Sun (I know, not my usual source), the pop star – & Hackney homegirl – Leona Lewis “has had a soppy poem about a horse inked in a long line down her spine as a permanent tribute to her favourite animal.” It reads:
Their beauty captures every eye,
A gift from God for all man kind,
They lend us wings so we may fly,
To ride a horse is to ride the sky.
Leona said: “It’s a bit weird but then I’m a bit weird, so that’s OK.”
…
Meanwhile, Kanye West has Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” tattooed on his arm.
This is the only (and thus clearest) image I was able to find; count yourself lucky to have seen it at all. (As for that even rarer tat, the new one on the inside of Angelina’s thigh, forget it: that’s for Brad. I’m betting it’s not a stanza from Billy Collins.)
We constantly hear in the poetry world that no one likes poetry, that poetry is ‘dead’. Poppycock. Poetry is in fact everywhere: wherever you go, if you scratch the surface you find a poet. Poet Files is an exclusive series in which Baroque in Hackney scrutinises the unlikely, and finds the secret poetry lurking there. Look for it every Saturday morning.
Dear Katy
I thought that Leona could have chosen a far better poem to adorn her back. Apparently Forward Press has published around a million British poets. That’s roughly four per cent of the adult population. You’re right. Poetry is everywhere and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. Whether this is a good thing or not is open to debate.
Best wishes from Simon
lady gaga has got a bit of rilke on her …
Julia, isn’t that too great? The text itself is beyond price. I refer you to my earlier, comprehensive treatment of Lady Rilke, with surprise photographs.
Actually Kanye’s tattoo is of the list of songs he produced. You can see it clearer in the Jay-Z video “Izzo” at the end.
I cant understand why any tattoo artist would do it so small that will all bleed together in years to come and look ridiculous.