Like Mine Poem by Seamus O' Brian

I saw my hands
the other day
on another man.
Gripping his elbows
unconsciously self-protecting.

Like my hands do.

Fingers like mine
slender, not fine
but freckled,
like mine.

Hands that tilled the earth,
milked the cows,
patted my head-

perhaps.

Hands that baited the hooks
gutted the fish, handled the crabs
with no fear of pinchers,

whatsoever.

Opened unopenable jars
unwrenchable nuts
unworkable whatsits.

Hands that held
my mother’s face
before love became a memory.

Before my head was unpatted
my shoulders unsqueezed.
My life unguarded.

Before the days of
unconscious self-protection.