hands

[Jerrybaldy]

Hands up if you know me
or would like to
or would rather not.
Hands up to high five
like we are basketballing.
Hands down to shake
in the deepest respect.
Hold hands like lovers.
Clench in your attack.
Hands to your eyes
self pity tears.
Hands between legs
like lovers.
Hands ageing with
liver spots.
Hands young with
plasticine.
Hands holding beerglasses
to get blind
hands holding reading glasses
to see.
Hands holding yourself
when love has gone
hands playing
when love has long gone.
Makes you wonder
how little our feet really mean.
Elbows play little part.
The back of my knee
never defined me much.
My eyes once sold
as windows to the soul
with all that retina action.
My left nipple hardly played a part
in this jerrybaldy life.
My third mole down, never had a look in.
The left testicle so proud to hang lower
than the right barely made a difference
this intact foreskin
may as well have been cut right off.
For tonight I am defined by these words
and those
who read to their
end.

[Haunted]

Up close and personal with our beloved Jerry! I'll note the lovely details in my Dark Poet (ahem) Handbook ;)

[hillwalker]

I enjoyed this up to a point. The contrast beween 'liver spots' and 'plasticine' and 'beer glasses to get blind' and 'reading glasses to see' was a touch of genius.

But I think you went astray when you started examining your elbows and the back of your knees because it diminished the poignancy of the image of your hands and how they define our lives. It seemed to disintegrate into a Monty Python sketch.

You probably have two poems here - one a work of art and one a flippant little observation on the absurdities of our bodies. I never did like those BOGOF deals though.

H

[Skia]

Loved it.
My hands are up for knowing you JB!!

[PrinceMyshkin]

I hadn't thought of the point that Hillwalker makes but am persuaded by it. Either this should have some other, less misleading title or you ought to confine it to the wonderful elegy/eulogy to your hands.

[Jerrybaldy]

Thank you Peeps
Couldnt agree more it completely disintegrated toward the end and could have been cut earlier, but I do enjoy a bit of rambling disintegration.
I said you buy one you get one free !! LOL.

cheers
Jerry