A Living Tattoo

I took a dare
And found needled into my arm
A tattoo, a dragon brave and fierce.
With open mouth, and swirling whisker
It is ferocious to observe
And I recollect all too clearly
The pain that placed it there.
The sharp dragging of needle
To outline its majestic head,
The soft brushing as colour
Swirled into the lines now there.
Faded now with time,
Its greens, reds, yellows and oranges
Fading into the years with my time
I remember fondly now the pain
And still, when passing by a mirror
Stop briefly to meet its gaze
And tell it that I regret not
The day I had it made.