these useless hands have left me
and i ache for their return
these useless hands have betrayed me
they forgot how to feel
they forgot how to move
they forgot how to hold on to something
they used to be strong hands
but now i look and see
only pain staring back at me
these useless hands
cut them off
I’m better without them
blundering in my way
these useless hands have stranded me
in a world where i cannot open things
in a world where i can no longer write
the words hide from me now
or spill out in gibberish across the page
these hands were once my livelihood
and they have left me
cold and tingling numbness
no feeling
no writing
no words
these useless hands
have left me with nothing
and i want it all back
cut them open
rip out this useless cord
rip out their uselessness
so i can live again.
cut them off
cut off these precious hands of mine
I’ve no use for them anyway
9/10/03
pik
©Patti Keno
Invisible No More 
Leave a Reply