Black and grey fine line script reading Life goes on on a woman's ribs, with black underwear and bra in a bright studio.

Script 'Life goes on' on the ribs

Lettering · Ribs · Black and grey · Photo

A woman in a black bra and high-waisted black briefs kneels against a white wall, with the side of her torso turned toward the camera. A small black script tattoo reading Life goes on sits on her side ribs, drawn with thin, even linework and no shading. The tattoo is in black ink on a light skin tone, and the soft, directional light falls across the floor and wall.

Find an artist for this

Take it to an artist as a reference. A good artist will make it yours rather than copy someone else's tattoo.

A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Tom,

Keep reading

The tent came down on Tuesday, the last of the canvas folded by Mr Pyke's boys while the rain ran off the ring in brown streams. You'll be glad to hear the lions went to a park in Kent with proper fencing, and Bellini has his own bed of straw now, which is more than the rest of us can say. We are four vans and a generator in a field outside Swindon, waiting on a buyer who keeps saying Thursday.

I have been mending the sequinned costumes at the kitchen table of the old caravan. Every spangle I sew back on makes me think of the night you fell off the trapeze bar and got up laughing, bowing to nobody. Mother would have hated the blood on your sleeve, but she loved that bow. I keep the seams tight and the hems straight, because someone has to pretend the next booking is real.

Yesterday Hal, the clown, sat on the step with his greasepaint half off and asked what I'd do if the money never came. I said I'd take the cheap room above the chip shop and learn to sew for people who want their trousers taken in. He laughed so hard he coughed. Then he wiped his face with the back of his glove and said the thing he always says when the bucket is empty: Life goes on, love, it's the only act we've got left.

I've written it in pencil on the inside of the costume box lid, under the faded painted star. Come up when you can. There's a spare bunk and a kettle that works, and the field is quiet enough to hear the trains.

Love, Nell

More like this

Black fine line dragonfly tattoo with two parallel bands on a woman's forearm, with a small lotus outline on her chest above a black bra.
Dragonfly and bands on a forearm
Black anchor tattoo entwined with an infinity symbol on the side of a person's hip, above black underwear.
Anchor and infinity symbol on a hip
Two shaded black and grey bow tattoos sit on a woman's thighs, with a colour tattoo partly visible on the right thigh.
Twin bow tattoos on thighs
Small colour tattoo of a green cartoon T-rex on the calf of a leg, worn with black platform boots against a pink background.
Small T-rex tattoo on a calf
Small black and grey feather tattoo on the side of a person's torso near the ribs, with the arm raised.
Small feather tattoo on the side ribs
Fine black script reading Trust your struggle on the inner upper arm of a woman wearing black lace underwear.
Script quote tattoo on an upper arm
Fine line black script tattoo reading courage across an ankle, with a second bare foot resting against it on a white background.
Courage script on an ankle
A small black line symbol tattoo on the back of a hand near the wrist, with the hand resting against white jeans and a white bed.
Small black symbol tattoo on a hand
Black fine line botanical arc of leaves and flowers on the inner upper arm, with a small cross tattoo on the wrist above.
Botanical arc on the inner upper arm
Black and grey botanical bouquet tattoo on the upper arm of a woman wearing a grey vest top.
Monochrome floral bouquet on an upper arm
Close view of a woman's upper arm with two solid black blackwork bands tattooed around it, with a grey t-shirt and one hand resting on her hip.
Two solid black bands on upper arm
Small black fine line crescent moon tattoo on the inner upper arm of a person lying on a cream textured blanket, with a gold watch on the wrist.
Small crescent moon on an upper arm

From the plentytattoo archive, uploaded by a user. Is this your work? Ask for credit or removal.