5.13.2010

Four Knuckles In Length.

Empty hands
Held out for a purpose.
These palms once clutched soil and worms.
They've bled, and have since crusted over to sickle-shaped scars.
These empty hands have never trembled yet they've turned to fists in sight of death.
These fingers form spider webs to trap truth.
Lies aren't lost; these hands speak sign language for the mute.
In times of drought and famine, these hands dug wells and trenches, constructed aquaducts and laid seed for vegetation.
These hands were once trusted by a lioness to deliver her cubs under the rain of an Afrikan night.
Frightened by the face of the world, the last out of the womb embraced its Lord with a bite across one hand
Four knuckles in length.
This hand bled, and has since crusted over to sickle-shaped scars.
These hands have tamed wild rhinos and fed Impalas.
With the most advanced technology known to man,
These hands carefully crafted parachutes from napkins, paper clips and string
Four knuckles in length.
Gold rings and an angel wings tattoo hid the true identity of these hands when the palms, which once
clutched soil and worms became empty.
These cracked hands are aquaducts for captured tears and build underground wells
of the strongest brick known to man.
Empty hands
Held up for a purpose.
Two fingers scream for peace the way they make women scream for me;
The way I screamed at the face of the world when I was born
And bit my father across his hand
Leaving a scar four knuckles in length.



This piece took me 2 weeks to write. It contains 9 metaphors.
See how many you can find/translate yourself. I'll share with you the breakdown in about a week. I want to hear what you think.

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