A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

“If” by Rudyard Kipling

One of history’s great poems, tattooed as a backpiece by Cam von Cook at Osborne Village Ink in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Comments

36 responses to ““If” by Rudyard Kipling”

  1. audente Avatar
    audente

    I hate to be “that guy”, but there’s a typo on that bad boy. Breathe is spelled ‘breath’. Bummer.

    Otherwise it is quite striking.

  2. audente Avatar
    audente

    I hate to be “that guy”, but there’s a typo on that bad boy. Breathe is spelled ‘breath’. Bummer.

    Otherwise it is quite striking.

  3. MaidenDisaster Avatar

    There’s another typo.

    “And yet, don’t look too good nor talk to(o) wise.”

    Definitely nice though. The kerning is very even.

  4. MaidenDisaster Avatar

    There’s another typo.

    “And yet, don’t look too good nor talk to(o) wise.”

    Definitely nice though. The kerning is very even.

  5. don'twanttobethatguy Avatar
    don’twanttobethatguy

    i’m pretty sure that’s the right version of “too” there and at least the “breathe” could possibly be fixed.

    i don’t know the poem but should it be ‘lose’ not ‘loose’ in the last paragraph?

  6. don'twanttobethatguy Avatar
    don’twanttobethatguy

    i’m pretty sure that’s the right version of “too” there and at least the “breathe” could possibly be fixed.

    i don’t know the poem but should it be ‘lose’ not ‘loose’ in the last paragraph?

  7. [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam] Avatar
    [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam]

    the ‘too’ isn’t a typo, that’s the correct useage

  8. [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam] Avatar
    [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam]

    the ‘too’ isn’t a typo, that’s the correct useage

  9. cuntcumber Avatar

    I dunno dreaming4444. Googling the phrase as it is spelled in the tattoo finds 127 results, whereas searching for it spelled “nor talk too wise” (with two ‘o’s) finds 39,700. Seems like a typo to me.

    Unless of course you’re joking, considering your spelling of “usage.”

  10. cuntcumber Avatar

    I dunno dreaming4444. Googling the phrase as it is spelled in the tattoo finds 127 results, whereas searching for it spelled “nor talk too wise” (with two ‘o’s) finds 39,700. Seems like a typo to me.

    Unless of course you’re joking, considering your spelling of “usage.”

  11. tokyowars Avatar

    Just wondering what the life of a tattoo as fine as this would be? I love the appearance, though to maintain it you’d have to get it touched up every five years or so right?

    My first tattoo is eight years old now and it’s starting to bleed a little. Wondering whether it was the way it was tattooed, and maybe with better ink the life of tattoos like the one above is improved?

    Hope I’ve made sense…

  12. tokyowars Avatar

    Just wondering what the life of a tattoo as fine as this would be? I love the appearance, though to maintain it you’d have to get it touched up every five years or so right?

    My first tattoo is eight years old now and it’s starting to bleed a little. Wondering whether it was the way it was tattooed, and maybe with better ink the life of tattoos like the one above is improved?

    Hope I’ve made sense…

  13. caitlin Avatar
    caitlin

    Great tattoo- HATE the poem

  14. caitlin Avatar
    caitlin

    Great tattoo- HATE the poem

  15. [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam] Avatar
    [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam]

    boo-urns i was looking at the first ‘too’ in the phrase and was like “yeah, that’s how it should be”, and yeah i agree the second “to” should be “too” as well. obviously my reading skills are as good as my spelling skillz 😛

    as well, in the bottom paragraph, should it be “lose”, not “loose”? i don’t know the poem

  16. [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam] Avatar
    [iam]dreaMING4444[/iam]

    boo-urns i was looking at the first ‘too’ in the phrase and was like “yeah, that’s how it should be”, and yeah i agree the second “to” should be “too” as well. obviously my reading skills are as good as my spelling skillz 😛

    as well, in the bottom paragraph, should it be “lose”, not “loose”? i don’t know the poem

  17. commonwealth Avatar

    no lose is to not win
    loose is…not tight i guess you could say

  18. commonwealth Avatar

    no lose is to not win
    loose is…not tight i guess you could say

  19. AshPlant Avatar
    AshPlant

    Yeah, I can see at least five mistakes there. Should be ‘talk too wise’, ‘meet with triumph and disaster’, ‘never breathe a word’, ‘serve their turn’, and ‘lose the common touch’. Sorry Cam. On the other hand, who really gives a flying fuck about a few spelling errors?

  20. AshPlant Avatar
    AshPlant

    Yeah, I can see at least five mistakes there. Should be ‘talk too wise’, ‘meet with triumph and disaster’, ‘never breathe a word’, ‘serve their turn’, and ‘lose the common touch’. Sorry Cam. On the other hand, who really gives a flying fuck about a few spelling errors?

  21. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    tokyowars – The lettering is big enough that it should last solidly pretty much indefinitely. I wonder if he’s planning on correcting some of the typos with a bit of laser and rework, or if it’s irrelevant. I’m not sure if I’d correct it if it was me, mistakes — and more importantly, accepting them — are part of life.

  22. Shannon Larratt Avatar

    tokyowars – The lettering is big enough that it should last solidly pretty much indefinitely. I wonder if he’s planning on correcting some of the typos with a bit of laser and rework, or if it’s irrelevant. I’m not sure if I’d correct it if it was me, mistakes — and more importantly, accepting them — are part of life.

  23. Lrig Avatar
    Lrig

    I love this poem, but I really dislike the font he chosed to use… I dont think it matches very well.

  24. Lrig Avatar
    Lrig

    I love this poem, but I really dislike the font he chosed to use… I dont think it matches very well.

  25. Aubs Avatar

    That’s pretty awesome but I hate the poem for personal reasons. In elementary school our teacher used to read that to us before recess and if anyone made any noise during it, she’d start again from the begining
    🙁

  26. Aubs Avatar

    That’s pretty awesome but I hate the poem for personal reasons. In elementary school our teacher used to read that to us before recess and if anyone made any noise during it, she’d start again from the begining
    🙁

  27. Kelley Avatar
    Kelley

    I had to memorize this poem in 6th grade, and it’s always been my favorite.

  28. Kelley Avatar
    Kelley

    I had to memorize this poem in 6th grade, and it’s always been my favorite.

  29. RosesAreRed Avatar
    RosesAreRed

    Teacher’s can ruin poetry by doing that 🙁
    The spelling errors bother me, but I think the concept and the tattoo is very cool. I’ve always loved that poem!
    I also like that the font is semi-unusual.

  30. RosesAreRed Avatar
    RosesAreRed

    Teacher’s can ruin poetry by doing that 🙁
    The spelling errors bother me, but I think the concept and the tattoo is very cool. I’ve always loved that poem!
    I also like that the font is semi-unusual.

  31. RosesAreRed Avatar
    RosesAreRed

    (please ignore my very cool “Teacher’s” mistake)

  32. RosesAreRed Avatar
    RosesAreRed

    (please ignore my very cool “Teacher’s” mistake)

  33. RedMolotov Avatar

    Kipling’s a racist, imperialist bigot. Not for me, thanks.

    And I won’t even start on the typos.

  34. RedMolotov Avatar

    Kipling’s a racist, imperialist bigot. Not for me, thanks.

    And I won’t even start on the typos.

  35. hypatia Avatar
    hypatia

    omg, is that comic sans…

  36. hypatia Avatar
    hypatia

    omg, is that comic sans…

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