Hands (Senryu)
granddaddy’s strong hands
accent from the wrong country
no one will hire him
nana’s able hands
fourth finger missing the tip
feeding the family
my father’s soft hands
blade of grass between his thumbs
whistles from the past
my mother’s smile
a gift to all her children
a warning slap
free city concert
Louie Armstrong plays the heat
Harlem doesn’t burn
some manicure lawns
but my family mows the weeds
two Americas
Date Published: April 11, 2016