HANDS
Can pluck a Stradivarius,
sculpt a David out of marble,
pleasure oneself, or a loving partner,
scratch an itch, pick your nose, wipe your ass,
write a play, applaud and give a standing ovation,
tie a shoelace or play an accordion,
steer an ambulance or a “just Married” car,
dig for gold or bury a good or a bad soul,
swat a Coronavirus mosquito,
shake hands with an old friend or a new enemy,
pull the pin on a hand grenade, squeeze the trigger
on an M-1 rifle or press the code for a nuclear bomb—
but never forget, a hand can always reach for the hand of God.
Milton P. Ehrlich Ph.D. is an 88-year-old psychologist and a veteran of the Korean War. He has published poems in, The Antigonish Review, London Grip, Arc Poetry Magazine, Descant Literary Magazine, Wisconsin Review, Red Wheelbarrow, Christian Science Monitor, and the New York Times.