i know what my hands are for now
i used to think they were for holding yours
for rocking your baby, cooking your dinner
or uncovering your secrets after dark

but i know what my hands are for now
it was yours that taught mine how to clench
to tremble and pulse and ache with rage
it was yours that taught mine how to point
take aim and pull a metal trigger
five years of your pushing and yelling
has led us to this silent suspended moment
where you are the one who fears

i know what my hands are for now
i once thought they were for writing
for creating visible emotions in black stains,
for planning my escape from this life

but i know what my hands are for now
and the only way out leaves one of us dead
the barrel of my pen is as dry
as this gun is cold against your skin
my hands are for survival
for rocking my baby, feeding him dinner
and singing soft lullabies after dark

03/28/2006

Posted on 03/29/2006
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