Her body has been her canvas for her story, long before she ever intended to tell it. Tattoos and scars give hints of plot and pain and triumph, to be seen by anyone who was interested.

A butterfly, reminiscent of her first step toward metamorphosis, its dark edges now blurred with time. Proof that transformation never ends.

Three sets of three dolphins, protecting her from the predators in communal waters, so that she could finally begin to let down her guard. A talisman to help her feel safe.

A love note to her adoptive home. Let it come, let it go. A daily devotion to the infinite cycle of nature.

And just below, the pinpoint scar over the vein that reminds her that her legacy is change, no matter how hard, and no matter how long.

When death arrives, the art will become ash, and the lessons alone will be carried with her. Words and actions are her new medium. Love is her new language. This is how she survives.

-Still, Between