I started this poem at crew practice, writing on the back of a waiver with a pen that had run out of ink. At first it was just a joke, ha ha invisible poetry, but then I became invested in the words.
An inspiration for the title and first line of the poem came from a girl I know. Every day since I first met her, she has been wearing a dogtag necklace that said: To Write Love on Her Arms. At first I thought that it was some little sentimental trinket that her boyfriend gave her and she was showing it off. But someone asked her about it, and I heard her tell them that it was the slogan for a suicide prevention charity she was involved in. I felt terrible about being so quick to judge, and wrote this almost as an apology. So Erin, I'm sorry I judged you. You have been very kind to me, and I'm very glad to know you.