The outstretched hand
is a lovely thing,
unless it happens
to be yours.

A graceful petition,
sublime expression
of who gives
and who receives.

Until you notice
the shredded nails,
the fingers
truncated
with each
bout
of begging.

That outstretched hand
is no longer lovely,
a bloody, clawed
set of stumps,
too damaged
to feel or grasp
what it was
reaching for
in the first place.


Comments

5 responses to “Reach”

  1. that hits hard & close. Brilliant.

  2. Beautiful. Very poignant as it is revealing…

  3. No one should ever reach out and have a stump pulled back.

  4. Hi again, RGirl,

    This one seems in a very similar vein (right word?) to the cat poem. The continuous ‘want’ until the point of ‘pointlessness’.

    I’d say, “Stop hurting your friends with this stuff.” But it’s the pain and other feelings that you bring to us and draw from us, that keeps us attracted and addicted to the work of your words.

  5. once again it is a sublime pairing of words & portrait that feed the pain while helping us to let it go.

    *applauds*

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