Black and grey botanical tattoo on the forearm showing an upside-down bat inside a solid black circle, with a trailing branch of leaves and daisies below.

Upside-down bat and daisy branch on a forearm

Botanical · Forearm · Black and grey · Photo

A bat hangs upside down inside a solid black circle, surrounded by leaves and feathery fronds, with fine stippling and hatching shading its fur and wings. Below the circle, a branch of leaves and daisy-like flowers trails down the forearm and ends in a dotted line. The linework is fine and detailed, and the whole design is rendered in black and grey ink against pale skin.

Botanical Fine line Dotwork Forearm Bat Leaves Daisy Flower Branch Circle Foliage

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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 Nell, the bat came down from the church rafters during the vows, which your mother insists was my fault for asking the vicar to keep the old beams. It dropped past him and hung from the brass lectern by its feet, wings folded tight like a furled umbrella, and nobody moved except Gerald, who tried to shoo it away with the order of service. You went on saying I will in your clear voice, and it watched you the whole time with those small black eyes.

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I thought about that bouquet all through the speeches. You had gathered the daisies from the verge outside the lych gate at seven that morning, dew soaking your shoes, and I told you they would be limp by noon. They were not. They were still standing up straight under the marquee lights when the bat finally let go of the lectern and flew, not out of the door, but low along the hedge towards the river, as though it had a route worked out and meant to keep to it.

Your grandfather used to say a bat hanging upside down is only a bird that has decided to listen to the ground. I never believed him until I watched it go. I have kept the order of service in the drawer by my bed, with Gerald's thumbprint on the second hymn and a pencil note in your handwriting that says do not forget the flowers.

Come and see me before the new year and bring the photographs. I want to look at them properly, and find out whether those daisies lasted as long as you promised they would. Love always, Gran.