Poem: Power’s Hand of “V”

Poem: Power’s Hand of “V”

A HAND IN THE AIR, FLAILING. HOLDING A ‘V’ IN THE SKY AS A SIGN OF HOPE. THE WHITE HANDS OF POWER DANCING IN THE AIR BETWEEN THEM AND US; BRIDGING THE BARRIER OF TRUST THAT THE WAR IS WON. ARMS WERE RAISED IN THE AIR FROM BOTH SIDES. THEIR HANDS CLEAN WHILE THEIR MEN ARE BURIED IN DIRT. SOFT HANDS WITH ROUGH ACTIONS. THE MEN WHO BEG FOR THE WAR TO BE WON HAVE HANDS THAT GROW TIRED, GROW OLD, GROW ROUGH CALLUSES, WARTS, RIPPED AND CUT. POWER’S HANDS REST IN SOAPED WATER – AND THEY REMAIN EMPTY, AND HOPE THAT IS ENOUGH. ACTING AS IF THEIR HANDS ARE HOLDING THE GUNS THEIR MEN ARE FIRING. PEOPLE OFTEN SAY THAT POWER’S HANDS HOLD THE DICE, BUT IT IS ALWAYS AN ILLUSION. THEY DO NOT BOTHER THEMSELVES IN THE DIRT AND ROT LIKE US. THE ONLY THINGS THEY HOLD IN ARE OUR LIVES, WHICH WE WILLINGLY HAND OVER AT THE SIGN OF ‘V’. WHILE OUR HANDS ARE WORKING BY THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND WE ALLOW IT. THEY PLAY WITH OUR LIVES, LIKE A CAT AND STRING – SOFT, DELICATE, FRAGILE TO TOUCH. WHILE OUR MEN BALANCE SOMEONE’S LIFE AT THE END OF A GUN. HARD, COLD METAL WHICH PUSHES BACK WITH EVERY BULLET SPENT. AND OUR MEN FORGE THE MINES AND WORK THE FACTORIES – UNTIL POWER DECIDES TO CLOSE THE MOUTHS SHUT. THEY KEEP OUR HANDS FULL AND OUR MINDS EMPTY SO THAT WE CANNOT FIGHT BACK. THEY REST THE GUN IN OUR PALMS AND POINT IT FOR US – NO THINKING, NO HESITATION, JUST AIM AND FIRE. THEN WHEN THE GUNS ARE DROPPED, THEY FILL OUR ARMS WITH WORK. ANY REFUSAL RESULTS IN OUR WRISTS BEING LOWERED BY THE METAL CHAINS OF UNLAWFUL DEFIANCE. AND WHEN OUR HANDS ARE FULL, WE START TO YELL UNTIL OUR MOUTH’S ARE FILLED WITH WORDS THAT THEY DO NOT HEAR. WE BEAR THE WORLD ON OUR SHOULDERS SO THAT THEIRS DO NOT BEGIN TO HURT. YET THEY PARADE VICTORY AS IF THEY HAVE WON IT. MY FATHER USE TO SAY THAT YOU COULD TRUST A MAN BY LOOKING AT HIS HANDS. AN HONEST MAN WILL WORK HARD, HANDS FULL AND ROUGH BUT WILL NEVER LAY HIS HAND ON ANOTHER PERSON – NEVER DOING ANYONE ANY HARM. WHILE POWER FORCES OTHER HANDS TO DO THE DESTRUCTION. SOME HANDS THINK, WHILE OTHERS WORK. HISTORICALLY, THE ‘V’ WAS AN ARCHER’S PROVOCATION – “I STILL HAVE MY BOW FINGERS – DO YOU?” A SIGN OF DEFIANCE AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE BECAUSE WHEN AN ENEMY ARCHER WAS CAPTURED, HIS FINGERS WERE CUT OFF – USELESS TO SHOOT WITH. OUR LEADERS NEVER HOLD THE GUN BUT THEY STILL PULL THE TRIGGER. THEIR EMPTY ‘V’S ASK FOR OUR PRAISE. WITH THOSE TWO FINGERS THEY TOOK OUR SOLDIER’S LIVES, BLAMED THE MINER’S, BOUGHT NUCLEAR BOMBS AND WERE CORRUPTED WITH LIES AND PARANOIA – CORRUPTED, UGLY, BRUTE. FOR YOU, TWO FINGERS ARE A FITTING SALUTE – I REVERSE MY FINGERS AND RAISE THEM. WHILE YOU WERE SHOWCASING YOUR EMPTY HANDS, WE HAD OUR WEAPONS READY.                                                                      

HANDS HAVE POWER AND YOU HAVE LOST OUR ‘V’OTE.

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