Veins prominent, skin all hills and valleys, fingers gnarled  
Held babies, rolled out pie crust, picked berries
Shook with rage, raised protest signs, cast votes in every election
Sewed curtains, wove wall hangings, embossed leather
Clutched cigarettes, threw chicken necks for fun, dealt solitaire
Held a scared child’s hand, fed stray cats, wrote a master’s thesis at 50  

The hands of a woman, wife, mother, sister, friend
These hands spoke volumes and never will again