Tuesday, December 7, 2010

One Shot - Hidden Hurt

Reflecting a radiant exterior,
younger than the years they had seen,
strong enough to be called upon
to twist, turn and grip
where others had failed.
But beneath the healthy appearance
lay constant pain.
Only small scars
and imperceptible deformities
reveal historic hints of tiredness.
Gnarled knuckles
nor disfigured digits
announce troubles within.
The hands appear with the same outward smile
borne on the face of their owner.

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29 comments:

The Bipolar Diva said...

That's beautiful and thought provoking, like all of your writings.

C.M. Jackson said...

great writing --I feel the pain and yet the inner strength and resilience evident in the smile..c

Sharon Day said...

How is it possible that every time you write something, it seems to apply to me? I was just lamenting today about my hands. I type over 100 wpm and ask so much of them. They're not "old" yet, but the knuckles are showing signs of future crippling. Strong but weak...

Anonymous said...

Hands tell a whole life story, when we read between the lines. They are by far the most practical introduction to another person, as they say far more in silence than words can convey.

G-Man said...

Hands Down MM...
An awesome One Shot...Thanks

Anonymous said...

Well done--I love the image of a strong body hiding pain.

Gabriela Abalo said...

Great poem to the hands :)
They are all that and more...

Nice Oneshot

thanks for stopping by my place

cheers :)

PattiKen said...

This is beautiful, MM. We ask so much of them, and they always deliver, even when it hurts.

dustus said...

Written beautifully, in particular when considering pain not always obvious. Killer final line too, "borne on the face of their owner" Great One Shot!

Fay Campbell said...

I heard that!

Caty said...

this poem can be symbolic for hidden pain beyond just the unseen pain of the hands. Very nice!

Carrie Van Horn said...

A brilliant one shot!! :-)

Brian Miller said...

niceone monkey...the hands say much...mine have plenty oflittle scars from along the way...

Anonymous said...

This is amazing! You've really packed a lot into the hands.

Teresa

budh.aaah said...

Beautiful shot

hedgewitch said...

The best fictional detectives always seem to pick the hands--Holmes could tell your occupation, age and marital status. But here you use the metaphor of surface versus substance to discuss a somewhat more profound mystery. Enjoyed it.

Stranger said...

I love reading hands. You've done a lot here and created a wonderful portrait of hands that hide their pain the way the face hides behind its smile. Lovely One Shot.

Anita Magdalena said...

A profound and beautiful write.

Anita.

Glynn said...

We hide our hurts and brokenness behind smiles and laughter. But they're still there. Good poem.

Dulçe ♥ said...

Beautiful hands pleading for a star
You!

Anonymous said...

Made me think. Nice one shot. Love and Light, Sender

Katherine Krige said...

they need a mate to slip into. Those hidden hurts are hard. Take care MM

Julie Ferguson said...

Hands can tell a lot about a persons past and future. Mine have scars of the things I have done, some good, and some bad.

Myrna R. said...

Lovely. It made me look at my hands and consider what they say about me.

Bubba said...

Yeah, my arthritic knees look okay too. So does my shoulder with tendonitus. Ain't getting old grand? (LOL!)

Thank goodness my youthful appearance, boyish charm and adolescent behavior help keep me feeling young.

Nice One Shot, MM!

One Stop - The Place For Poets, Writers and Artists said...

Our hands and feet never show how much they are punished by us each day

great poem my friend

One Stop Thanks - MDW

Marla said...

You have a real gift for writing MM.

Anonymous said...

Quite a tight piece, MM.. all that pain masked by a tough exterior... sounds too familiar...
A very poignant read... effectively written!

Anonymous said...

This is so true, so many walk around with hidden pain.