Decades of Her Hands,By Kathryn Lenten

I
Her hands
Small and soft
Smelling of new birth
Wrapped around her mother’s pinkie

Her hands
Learning new skills
She dresses her dolls and climbs the trees
And is writing a story about the bird in a cage
That sits on her hand
II
Her hands
Have packed her bags
And have driven her away
To learn
How to take care of others
III
Her hands
Fully grown
Hold her children
Chipped nails, no time for a manicure
Washing many dishes
She uses lotion to keep them soft
IV
Her hands
Sewing, baking,
Ironing, cooking, carrying
Caring
Begin to ache
V
Her hands
Have a spot on them
It’s brown
She uses cream to cover up this
Sign of aging
No sense
More will come

Her hands
Holding her children’s faces
As they one by one
Leave to learn
How to take care of others

VI
Her hands
Knuckles swollen with past years of labor
Smelling of creamed medicine
To ease the pain
Continue to work
Sewing, baking, ironing, cooking, carrying,
Caring
These strong hands

VII
Her hands
Slowing
Becoming transparent
Thinned
Yet remain strong

VIII
Her hands
Folded across her chest
In their eternal rest
For they have served her well

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