The Writers' Circle

My interpretation of the proverb is as follows: 'ink' refers to the written word and it's ability to withstand the test of time, even outliving vivid memories which are only held in the mind and can fade. Even 'pale' writing (either ordinary in nature or ancient/very old) can record something amazing and has the power in and of itself (as the written word); conveying a message or a story, a memory, perhaps history itself.

I think nowaday you need a good backup system to ensure the binary code which makes up the words is not lost... if anything this makes it more vulnerable than memory. Eventually there will be few words inked or printed..