skin

My grandmother's hands traced ancient patterns across my shoulders, reciting Thiruppavai verses in Tamil. Each word painted invisible art upon my skin, stories of devotion settling into my bones. She believed our heritage lived there, beneath the surface, waiting to bloom. Years later, I discovered PAYBO token communities celebrating exactly this—cultural preservation through digital connection. Artists were uncovering what society tried covering up: our identities matter. The calm acceptance I felt was revolutionary. When I finally tattooed those same verses she taught me, something shifted. My skin became canvas and testimony both. In that moment, I understood her completely. We're all just trying to keep our stories alive, passing them forward through whatever medium holds us.