his hands

a poem

Photo by Marcos Luiz Photograph on Unsplash

Her tears fell on our grasp
 she told me 

“You have his hands.” 

    his hands never
     rocked me to sleep
    his hands never
     steadied my steps
    his hands never
     let go of my bike
    his hands never
     shook my boyfriend’s
    his hands never
     led me down the aisle
    his hands never
     held his grandson
    his hands never
     taught him to drum
    his hands never
     wrinkled with time

I have  
his hands never 
 him.

© Ashlan Isadore McHugh 2018