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Moko creates a shallow wound, as the needles insert pigment into the lower layers of the skin. It is not deep enough for scarification.

When a section is done, I lie on a paper towel for 15 minutes to compress the wound, to staunch its weeping, to help seal it up.

When I peel the paper towel off my body, it carries an image of the moko written in my own plasma and blood, soaked into the paper towel. A haunting image, a bit like the face of Christ on the Shroud of Turin.

I try not to think too much about it.

The body also needs time to rest and recover. That’s why Phil and I are taking two days off after inking the entire waistband and adding pakati lines to the entire front of the moko, all around my man bits.

All that remains to be done is adding the pakati lines on the lower left leg, all sides. This we hope to finish tomorrow, Thursday, October 5 here.

Fingers crossed!