My Hands

I love the feeling of wind between my fingers on a warm day

And sifting sand between them on the beach of my childhood

And shaking the hands of old friends, new friends

Strangers who will become friends or remain strangers

I like it when my hands are clean, and then become dirty from work and from play

I like every callus

Every cut

Every bruise

Every scar.

I like the rough patches and soft smooth patches

I like every freckle, birthmark, and blemish.

I like every part of them for they are my hands; unique to only me.

They are strong when I need to be

And they are soft and understanding when someone needs my reassurance.

They enjoy the touch of others, but sometimes they just wish to be alone.

Everything I have been through they have been through too.

I can always rely on them, even when I don’t quite know what to do

And I will always be able to rely on them until the day I die

Because they are my hands

They are me

And our journey together has just begun.

There will be many more times I will feel the wind between my fingers

Many more days to sift sand between them

Many more memories that I will someday forget but my hands will always remember.

I Remember Exactly

I remember exactly
The shape of your hands,
How they felt in mine,
Caressing mine
Every line traced over and over in my memory

I remember exactly
The strength of your arms
Holding me in your embrace
With all your might
As if to protect me from all the evils in the world

I remember exactly
The blue of your eyes
The wrinkles in the corners
When you smiled, seeing me
Connecting with mine, reading my every emotion

I remember exactly
The sound of your voice
Soothing, calm, and caring
Calling to me
A voice saved for me and for me only

I remember exactly
The smell of your clothes
Enveloping me
As we laid side by side
Then still lingering on my skin, even after we parted

I remember exactly
The look in your eyes
The feel of your embrace
As you said those three words
“I love you”

I remember exactly
The shape of your hands
How cold they felt
Letting go of mine
Fumbling with the grass around us


I remember exactly
The strength of your arms
Pushing me away
And keeping me there
Allowing time and space come between us

I remember exactly
The blue of your eyes
Distant, almost lost
As we talked
Making contact with everything, anything but mine

I remember exactly
The sound of your voice
Sad, honest, but unsure
One no one wants to hear
Avoiding confrontation, but making a point

I remember exactly
The smell of your clothes
Still lingering on my skin
Ever so faintly
Knowing it will soon fade with time

I remember exactly
The look in your eyes
Your sad embrace
As you said those three words
“We should talk”


I remember exactly
The shape of your hands
How they looked then
Wrapped up in hers
Intertwined as if they were one, not two

I remember exactly
The strength of your arms
Awkwardly around me
Trying, in vain
To close a distance created by time


I remember exactly
The blue of your eyes
How they wrinkled ever so slightly
When they connected with hers
But were nothing but an empty sea to me

I remember exactly
The sound of your voice
A harsher tone
Distant and insincere
Like a random stranger calling my name

I remember exactly
The smell of your clothes
Reeking of her perfume
Unfamiliar to me now
Lingering, despite how hard I tried to forget

I remember exactly
The look in your eyes
Your insincere embrace
As you mumbled those three words:
“I’ve missed you”

I hope you remember
The shape of my hands
Confident and unwavering
Waving goodbye
To you and everything you stood for

I hope you remember
The strength in my arms
As I held you back
And held myself high
Despite all you have done to put me down

I hope you remember
The look in my eyes
Confident and determined
Looking straight past you
Focused on my goals and my future


I hope you remember
The sound of my voice
Saturated with passion
Stronger than ever
Unfamiliar even to me, but in a good way

I hope you remember
The smell of my clothes
No longer like yours
Lingering for a moment,
A brief reminder of what you have lost

I hope you remember
The look in my eyes
Disinterest in my embrace
As you say those three empty words
“How are you?”
And I answer
“Better”

I remember exactly
The shape of your hands
As they clenched closed
Around nothing but air
Withered, and cold from time alone

I remember exactly
The strength of your arms
Wavering
As they fall to your side
With no one left for you to hold

I remember exactly
The blue of your eyes
Sad and pathetic
Searching in vain
For something or someone to love

I remember exactly
The sound of your voice
Reaching out
Calling my name
To non-listening, uncaring ears

I remember exactly
The smell of your clothes
Once familiar
But barely a memory
A scent belonging to no one but yourself

I remember exactly
The look in your eyes
The desperation in your embrace
As you begged with those three words:
“I miss you”

And I know,
At that moment,
You’re remembering exactly
The shape of my hands
The strength of my arms
The look in my eyes
The sound of my voice
The smell of my clothes

Yes, I remember exactly
The shape of your hands
The strength of your arms
The blue of your eyes
The sound of your voice
The smell of your clothes
The difference is
“I don’t care”