Drawn tattoo design of an infinity symbol made of rope and vines, with an anchor, pink roses and the script words I refuse to sink.

Infinity anchor with roses and rope

Botanical · Mixed · Flash

The design shows an infinity symbol formed from twisted rope and vine, with a detailed anchor on the left and pink and purple roses at both loops. Fine grey shading gives the rope and anchor depth against a soft, pale background. The script words I refuse to sink run along the lower right of the loop, and the colour is limited to the rose tones.

Botanical Infinity Anchor Rope Rose Vine Script

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A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Tom,

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The Mary Ellen came in on the morning tide with her net torn and nobody aboard her hurt, which is more than Dad would have said for himself after the winter we had. Mum would have had the kettle on before the bow was tied. I sat on the harbour wall instead, with your letter in my lap, reading the bit where you say you've signed on for another two years at Aberdeen and can't come home for the anniversary.

I keep thinking about the anchor you carved into the cupboard door in the back kitchen when you were nine, the one I told you looked like a bent fork. You drew the chain round in a figure of eight and wrote underneath it in biro, I refuse to sink, because Mrs Pascoe had said we'd all go under if the chapel roof wasn't mended. You were a stubborn little beggar. I still am.

Mum's roses are out along the lane now, the pink ones and the purple that won't stay in the vase. Dad tied string round every stem to the fence, the way she liked it. On Sunday I cut a bunch and took them down to the slipway and dropped them off the end one at a time, the same way she used to toss bread to the gulls.

Come home for the fair. Bring the chain. I'll hold the other end and we'll see whether the thing actually goes round.

Love, Nell