The Hanged hand

If

scars

could 

talk

my

hands

would 

lie,

would

lie

before

you -

old

open 

wounded

broken

tales

of

life

ink

stained

trembling

black

nail

varnish

chipped

knuckles 

bruised

empty

Reviews

[Eilis]

This is a title that opens the story out. I'm terrible at titles, so am always aware of how others use them and choose them. Yours here adds a visual layer for me. I know I tend to look a little too deep, but (here it comes, another crazy visual from me) the first thing that came to my mind was an arm hanging limp with a noose below the hand. Hmmm.

Moving on. I liked the single word per line thing. It's like a plea that is being hesitantly shared. Coming to the end there's the sense that it could have gone on, but maybe the sharer has pulled back.

When I was young, I worshipped my estranged father. He is a carpenter and his hand were a collage of blisters and scars and cuts and so on. I told myself that the man I married would have hands like that. I understand that impulse better now, but it was something very potent for me then. The hands can offer a telling glimpse of a person.

Not sure why I just told that story. It felt important while I was typing it. I think it was to say that I think there is something mythical in the idea of human hands. The power coupled with the vulnerability. All they can say without speaking.

Anyway, I'll leave it. I could delete it, but I won't. A good poem, gram.

[gram linski]

Cheers, the hand is the most versatile thing we have, and the thought of losing it , of how do you make a blind woman blinder, take a way the braille, they have always been powerful things, God bless the dirigible thumbs

[gram linski]

Sometimes the title is more important than the poem, it's the frame for the words, other times it's a song on the radio, happy randomness, and on occasion you nick it from someone else, lol

[Eilis]

Haha. Well, sadly, for my poems, titles are mostly a cop out. Cheers, Gram

[LE Berry]

Single word descriptive is very difficult gram, but this piece completely finds its course. What I got from it is someone with many thoughts who remains constantly silent, and the only way you can know and understand he or she is through their hands, and that takes caring attentiveness. Nice.

[gram linski]

thanks LE, don't think there was much caring attentiveness in my broken bones at the time, but I get your drift, cheers for the read

[LE Berry]

Been there as well gram...broken bones are no fun...

[Neville]

Until I came to the Cafe quite a few years ago now, I thought the one word liner was of my own design, having not come across it before.. However, it is proving increasingly popular and for a variety of reasons maybe.. I guess you either love this form or not.. A bit like Marmite.... I very much like it for its hard hitting punchyness (think I just made that word up).. and because it is possible to tell a story, just as you appear to have done with just a few words...

Anyway enough of form and aesthetics... I really liked these words from beginning to end.. The title is FAB too.................. N

[gram linski]

f**k form and aesthetics, glad you liked it

[Chris Shaw]

Sad little poem this gram with a very unusual layout. Strong opening which draws the reader in. Black nail varnish chipped, that's the Goth in you coming out.

Chris

[gram linski]

Thanks, Chris, some would say that was death seeping out, but yes I was a bit bit of a dark mysterious character in my youth, I lived in a cellar and no-one knew I exsisted, lol

[Chris Shaw]

Trust you are now out of the cellar and living in the light and you are more sociable :))

[gram linski]

not exactly but this stolen phone has a better range

[Chris Shaw]

Ha ha........

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I always knew you wore make up. It shines through in your pseudo masculine agression! This is a novel and flowing piece of narrative poetry that opens with brilliant lines to drag the reader under the surface of this fellow. It ends on a sad note as the lights dim and the curtains close!

[gram linski]

never hid my feminine side, or my punk side the thousand yard stare in my dull grey eyes is illuminated by a bit of eyeliner, and stockings always feel good,

[jacob erin-cilberto]

what an effect...a word per line, a scar per line...a plea per line...
empty hands wanting to hold hers again.
j.

[gram linski]

Wow, j. that was quick, the nail varnish was mine, by the way, lol, cheers