“Social Distancing” © Alexander Limarev

 

These Hands Carry Tremors

These hands have carried groceries
back and forth.
They’ve opened doors
from one room to the next.
They’ve plucked feathers from chickens
that were being prepped for supper.
They’ve picked at crawfish from the riverbed
while they nipped at the fingers.

These hands have so much
written on them.
So many scars from one side
to the other.
They still have the mark
of where there were three stitches
from when I was a fool.
A scar on the side of the pinky
from when I shattered a glass in my hand.
I even see the knicks
from when I brushed them against the fence door
rushing you to the emergency room.
I didn’t notice I was bleeding
until I dropped you off.

These hands
once held yours.
And I read every road you’ve been on
to where you are now.
With all 34 muscles
in each hand.
They pushed your wheelchair
from here to there.
These hands
had to let you go.

Now all these hands can only do
is quiver.
When I hold them to my face
they flutter.
Because these hands
carry demons.

 

Joel Barba: “I lost my mom to cancer late last year and her final months on this Earth she spent them in the hospital and because of Covid regulations I didn’t get to see her until the very end. I’ve been writing periodically to cope with it since.”

Alexander Limarev, freelance artist, mail art artist, curator, poet, photographer from Russia. Participated in more than 1000 international projects and exhibitions. His artworks are part of private and museum collections of 70 countries. His artworks as well as poetry have been featured in various online publications including UNDERGROUNDBOOKS.ORG, BOEK861,Bukowski Erasure Poetry Anthology (Silver Birch Pressj), Nokturno.FI,Treehouse Arts, Backchannels, Briller Magazine, The Gambler Mag, StyleBlueprint,Tuck Magazine,Angry Old Man Magazine,Caliban Online Magazine, Gallery & Studio Arts Journal, Oddball Magazine, Maintenant and others.