Day 23: These Are the Hands (#NationalPoetryMonth2020)

Today’s poem comes from a prompt at Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ Today’s Little Ditty. This is from the first week of April, and I’m just finally getting around to it…better late than never? I’m also finally reading Michelle’s The Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2017–2018 anthology, and it’s lovely. And her posts have made me want to read the Patrice Vecchione book she’s deep diving into, also! A feast of poetry and prompts this month. I hope I’m not the only one doing a terrible job of keeping up with everyone!

This poem is about empathy and what our hands can do. My poem took an unexpected turn, but I like it as an early draft.

Like most everybody else, I’m experiencing lots of upheavals lately! I have no huge National Poetry Month plans–just hoping to share an imagepoem here each day (or as often as I can). I’m participating in Laura Shovan’s awesome #WaterPoemProject the best I can, so most of my poems will come from either that or from the PAD (Poem A Day) Challenge at Writers Digest. Grateful for the distraction of poetry and friends!

4 Responses

  1. I’ve come to the conclusion, Laura, that there is no other way to do NPM than catch-as-catch-can! That said, I’m very grateful that you caught this prompt and ran with it. And it’s not late either! I’m happy to get any response for any of the prompts at any time during the month. 🙂 I love how you describe the familiar sidewalk dance in the first stanza—the “dip and swerve,” I love the honesty of that second stanza, and most of all, I love the ending—that you show in this poem not only what a hand can do, but also what it can’t.

  2. Ooh, I like it.
    I also feel DEEPLY sorry for anyone having to move just now. D’s job is potentially shifting, and we will eventually have to move, but we’re certainly going to put it off as long as possible!!

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