Hands carved carefully Digging holes in cheeks Peeling away the shedded skin Revealing the soft ripe middle Hands that started fire That wiped soot from skin Wet with fruit and clay That foraged for you Hands in godspell That raised hands to your temples and called you religion That prayed to you Hands of olive oil and salt Fingers drowning in embroidered fabrics To hide the jewels you cried for That stole for you Hands beating drums Splaying as we embrace Wincing in the sun That danced with you And in this lifetime, those hands trace your skin Carving carefully Digging holes in cheeks Peeling away the shedded skin Remembering all the worlds where they belonged to you