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Arts & crafts

‘My hands’ – a poem

23 Nov 2022 | Written by By Josephine Baker

The Joy Club member Josephine writes about her hands and all the things they’ve done for her – and others – throughout all phases of her life…

My hands

Knotted and gnarled and rough,
My hands have done so much!

Held others’ hands, and cradled babies,
Tickled toes, brushed hair, washed faces,
Changed nappies and brushed baby teeth,
Smacked bottoms, and soothed poorly knees

Wiped toddlers’ eyes and also noses,
Knitted, sewn, penned poems and stories,
Held tennis racquets, stroked cats and dogs,
Peeled apples, squeezed lemons, and boiled eggs

Swung hockey sticks and thrown balls too,
Painted scenes, used paper and glue
Pointed at mountains, waved to friends,
Made clothes to simply follow trends

Handled ornaments, and jewels,
Applied some make-up, sorted tools,
Drawn arcs, made fists, touched bodies and,
Dug holes, made castles in the sand

Encouraged with a ‘thumbs up’ – fine,
Discouraged with a downward sign,
These useful, generous means of touch,
Although they’re knotted, gnarled and rough!


If you have a poem you’d like to submit to The Joy Club blog, please do so via submissions@thejoyclub.com. We pay for all the submissions we publish!

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