my moma's hands

I've been thinking of moma's hands often lately.

Those hands have been through a lot.

She has changed all 7 of her children's diapers,

wiped all of our tears.

All of us are bonded by those hands.

I remember being a little girl and always

playing with her hands in church.

Especially on Sunday nights, when the darkness

came through the stained-glass windows

of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church.

I would follow the veins in her hands and play

with that same Mother's ring she still wears now

as seen in the picture.

Many evenings these hands held me as I fell asleep.

Many back rubs were given to me by these hands.

Vomit was cleaned with these hands and

for some of us, these same hands spanked us

(ya'll know who ya'll are).

She washed and picked up many dishes at Randolph's resturant

with these hands. Cooked many meals, cleaned

much seafood. Remember all the crab shells 

she would clean to stuff for stuffed crabs?

These hand washed many batches of clothes but

didn't like doing housework.

Many baths were given by these hands.

Now the hands are painful to her on many days

but I can never look at her and not know

how important those hands have been to all of us.

Her hands are connected to her heart.

When she is gone, it will be her hands I will

remember the most. She has carried us all

in the palms of those hands.