Black and grey sketch-style tattoo of a gaunt, tattered figure with wild hair and buckled straps, running down the upper arm.

Tattered buckled figure on upper arm

Upper arm · Black and grey · Photo

A tall, gaunt figure with wild, tufted hair, wide staring eyes and tattered clothing is tattooed vertically down the upper arm. Fine, scratchy linework builds the ragged edges, buckled straps and boots, with light shading across the torso and legs. The design is rendered entirely in black and grey ink and is centred on the arm against a plain background.

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A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Ruth,

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You will not believe what Mr Okonedo's nephew left on the proving shelf again. It is the same ragged thing from the Ashdown fête, a tall figure stitched from old sacking and bridle leather, all buckles and loose strap-ends, with a face cut from a flour sack and two button eyes that look more alarmed than the ones on the cat. I moved it off the rye twice before I noticed it was watching the oven door.

Its hair is only a tangle of cotton waste, but the thing has a way of standing with its weight on one boot that makes me think it has been waiting a long time for a bus. Last Tuesday the bread came out an hour early, every loaf split along the top like a grin, and I swear the buckles on its chest were ticking.

I have decided it is harmless. Its straps are only leather, and leather does not hold heat the way a cheap clock does. Besides, the dough behaves better when it is near. The sourdough rose higher than it has since Easter.

So I have left it where it is, by the back door, with the flour scoop tucked under one arm like a sentry. Come down on Saturday and see for yourself before the light comes up over the car park, and bring the good butter. I want a witness when I make it stop.

Love, Marion

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