Birds and Langston Hughes Tattoo
Dublin Core
Title
Birds and Langston Hughes Tattoo
Subject
Tattoo Art
Langston Hughes
Birds
LGBTQ people
Parental Grief
Autobiographical memory
Description
Tattoo of birds in flight added to an existing tattoo with part of a quote from Langston Hughes, “Free within Ourselves” encircling forearm.
“When people ask about the meaning, it’s sometimes easier just to focus on the words, as they apply to race and sexuality and the freedom to be true to oneself, loving yourself in spite of the obstacles before you. The birds are meant to connect to those words and ideas, but for me they have another meaning, too. During my pregnancy, images of birds kept coming up for me, and I felt that they represented, in a way, the next chapter of my life. I was planning on decorating the baby’s room with birds, and for a while, I was considering getting a dove tattoo after the baby was born. Of course, all of that symbolism shifted when the baby died. But these birds still represent to me new life, unconditional love for self and others, and freedom. They remind me that I don’t have to let go of all of the positive changes the baby brought to my life—changes like focusing more on self-care than I ever had before, and trusting in the path I'm walking, even if I meet unexpected turns. And the act itself, of putting this art permanently on my body, also holds meaning, as this baby’s love was so special to me, and I know it will never leave me.”
“When people ask about the meaning, it’s sometimes easier just to focus on the words, as they apply to race and sexuality and the freedom to be true to oneself, loving yourself in spite of the obstacles before you. The birds are meant to connect to those words and ideas, but for me they have another meaning, too. During my pregnancy, images of birds kept coming up for me, and I felt that they represented, in a way, the next chapter of my life. I was planning on decorating the baby’s room with birds, and for a while, I was considering getting a dove tattoo after the baby was born. Of course, all of that symbolism shifted when the baby died. But these birds still represent to me new life, unconditional love for self and others, and freedom. They remind me that I don’t have to let go of all of the positive changes the baby brought to my life—changes like focusing more on self-care than I ever had before, and trusting in the path I'm walking, even if I meet unexpected turns. And the act itself, of putting this art permanently on my body, also holds meaning, as this baby’s love was so special to me, and I know it will never leave me.”
Creator
Participant in Reproductive Losses Research Project
Source
Personal Collection of LGBTQ Reproductive Losses Study Participant
Publisher
unpublished
Date
Circa 2007
Contributor
Participant in LGBTQ Reproductive Losses Research Project
Craven, Christa
Lang, Ella
Rights
Format
jpeg
Language
eng
Type
Still Image
Identifier
Birds and Langston Hughes_01
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Tattoo
Citation
Participant in Reproductive Losses Research Project, “Birds and Langston Hughes Tattoo,” LGBTQ+ Reproductive Loss, accessed March 24, 2023, https://lgbtqreproductiveloss.org/items/show/10.