Our church puts together devotionals for Lent and Christmas and sometimes just because... Members are asked to submit "short reflections, poems or prayers of your creation or those that are important to you... For Lent the theme is "Into Your Hands" coming from Jesus' final words. As I read the call for submissions, I thought of one of my favorite examples of spoken word for middle school, Hands by Sarah Kay, so I sent this off today.
from Hands by Sarah Kay
...We used to have a game, my dad and I about holding hands because we held hands everywhere, and every time either he or I would whisper a great big number to the other, pretending that we were keeping track of how many times we had held hands... hands learn more than minds do, hands learn how to hold other hands, how to grip pencils and mold poetry, how to tickle pianos and dribble a basketball, and grip the handles of a bicycle how to hold old people, and touch babies , I love hands like I love people, they’re the maps and compasses in which we navigate our way through life, some people read palms to tell your future, but I read hands to tell your past, each scar marks the story worth telling, each callused palm, each cracked knuckle is a missed punch or years in a factory, now I’ve seen Middle Eastern hands clenched in Middle Eastern fists pounding against each other like war drums, each country sees their fists as warriors and others as enemies even if fists alone are only hands. but this is not about politics, no hands aren’t about politics, this is a poem about love, and fingers. fingers interlock like a beautiful zipper of prayer...
As we walk through Lent, may we reflect on our hands and reach out for others.
Take time to watch (spoken word) or read Sarah Kay’s entire poem.
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