It can be dark

It is dark, but darkness is sometimes on the inside of those we meet, but sometimes we don't know.

His knuckles had the words tattooed in faded ink, “HATE” and “LOVE.” He told me, "I could feel it against the bone as he did it."

The word "HATE" was written backwards as "ETAH" and I have seen that before on tattoos. Some have told me they did that so they could read their tattoo themselves, which is commonly called "mirror writing." It is often the sign of a deteriorating brain.

It is not dyslexia, it is instead dysgraphia. The medical definition of dysgraphia is, “The impairment of the ability to write caused by brain damage,” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It can be a symptom of brain disease.

But why such a contrasting tattoo of love and hate?

I asked the man who was in his late sixties “Why?” He then went back to a time when he was behind bars… “It was a prison tattoo in the 70’s – I figured it would fade away in a year or so. But, it’s still here over 40-years later.”

I couldn’t settle for such an answer so I pressed on. “But why,” I asked him again. “I liked to fight back then and I liked the idea of the tattoo on my fingers, so I did it,” he said quietly as cars passed by on a busy Nashville street.

Still, not the in depth answer I was looking for. I wanted to hear about his inner fight of being good verses being evil. His response to such nonsense, “Back then I was young and dumb – Today I am old and foolish.”

In the 1953 novel by David Grubb entitled “The Night of the Hunter,” the fictional character Reverend Harry Powell had Love and Hate tattooed on his fingers. The character was a known con-artist in the story and also a serial killer. Perhaps it was that novel that spurred others to get such tattoos?

In the book, the character of Reverend Powell gives a sermon on the struggles between good and evil while using his inked knuckles as an example while preaching. On one hand you have love, on the other you have hate.

The story was set in the 1930’s and the Reverend spread the word of God while befriending rich widows and later killing them while gaining their fortunes. In other words, the good was the spreading of the word followed by his bad acts of murder.

The tattoos were later made clearer when the novel became a movie in 1955. In fact, the “LOVE” and “HATE” is one of the most iconic images in film history still today, all because of the movie. Since the 50’s, multiple characters have had similar or the same tattoos.

Rev. Powell in “The Night of the Hunter” was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Perhaps a scary combination that is seen in multiple serial killers throughout history. In 1955 the film was far from popular. No one wanted to see a traveling preacher who was also capable of such evil. No one wanted to be reminded that evil was so vivid, clever and charming at the same time.

While I am not suggesting the hands pictured belong to someone of evil doings, it does make me think twice when I see such tattoos. It is almost a caution sign to remind me that some people battle with true inner evil that is extreme to the point where they have it tattooed onto their body as a reminder.

The hands pictured did prison time for robbery, but perhaps more before being caught – which is why I wanted to focus on the hands as opposed to the face in this photo.

It is a reminder for all of us, because we all have such battles. However, some are much more extreme.

“When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It’s where my demons hide
It’s where my demons hide
Don’t get too close
It’s dark inside
It’s where my demons hide
It’s where my demons hide”
-Imagine Dragons, Demons

Removing the past

ABOVE: Click to enlarge photos

Lee, who is homeless, once had a large tattoo on his forearm that read, “Member – KKK.” However, that is now covered by a cross representing Jesus and a rose representing Lee’s mother who passed away about 8 years ago.

What is even more intriguing about the KKK tattoo being covered up by a cross is that the tattoo artist is black. Dewayne, who owns Beast Mode Ink in Murfreesboro, TN said he would be proud to cover up such a tattoo for Lee. In fact, the two hit it off great. It was likely a site that would not have been seen just a few years back.

“I can’t live like this anymore,” he said while looking at the rose. He then talked about how the rose would remind him that his mother wanted him to lead a better life and the cross would re-enforce that in a major way. He went on to say, “I made my mind up being homeless, that I’ve got to change, my mother don’t want me living like this and I decided to get this hatred off of me and live for God.”

Lee said that prior to the cross being tattooed onto his arm today, “My body had hate on it.”

Lee elaborated, “The old tattoo that I had on there was hatred and this tattoo that I’ve got on here is love for my mother and the man upstairs – that’s what I wanted right there.”

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

From Michigan and never going back

I often meet people who have a face that is covered in tattoos and I think to myself that they are likely hiding from who they want to be or from who they are. I see sadness in the eyes of so many who live on the streets of America.

“I’m from Detroit, Michigan,” he told me while standing outside of a truck stop. While looking away he said, “I will never go back.”

As for the tattoos, “I was going to get my eyebrows tattooed like a clown, because life’s a joke and you have to laugh – if you don’t laugh then somethings wrong with you.”

“The reality of the other person is not in what he reveals to you, but in what he cannot reveal to you. Therefore, if you would understand him, listen not to what he says but rather what he does not say.” - Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Meet Moon Cricket

I asked him about the tattoo under his left eye and he laughed a little before saying, “Growing up, a lot of my friends were black and my mom use to always call me Moon Cricket, which is derogatory, so one night I got the tattoo of a moon just to show mom.”

The term moon cricket came about during slave times. When African American slaves finished doing their daily chores or work on the farm, they would often go outside and sing under the moonlight. Some say they sang like crickets under the moon. Thus the term moon crickets.

He told me, “We are headed to Colorado by train, they have the best weed, medical grade.”

Street Photography After Dark

It is always interesting, the people who look as if they could be the darkest or scariest always have a soft side if you catch them in the moment.

The lights of downtown Nashville lit his face as he played with the puppy. “We just got to Nashville from Indiana,” he told me. “We love Nashville,” talking about himself, the puppy and his girlfriend. "We hop trains," he told me with a smile. 

“A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition.” ― V. Vale

Police Code 51-50

The tattoo on his inner lip read, “51-50.” However, it was starting to fade. “I can’t see it,” he told another man, “I haven’t figured out how to pull my lip up to my eyes [laughing].” The other man giggled and said, “It reads I’m Gay, I think you should get your money back.”

“So what does 51-50 mean,” I asked with curiosity. “It is police code in California for a crazy person,” he told me with a chuckle. I did not want to question it as he towered over me and I am 6’2”.

“Sometimes you have to go a little crazy before you can find sanity. I think I'm close.” ― Tawny Lar

The End

He had tattoos all over his body and as he closed his eye lids the tattoos read, “The End.”

He stood about 6’4” and was a very nice gentleman, but I can imagine he was a force to be reckon with in his youth.

I asked, “So, why the tattoos?” He laughed a little and told me that he did not know why other than he was young at the time. The rest followed thereafter.

American tattoo artist Kat Von D once stated, “I am a canvas of my experiences, my story is etched in lines and shading, and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders, and my stomach.”