at times clenched
at times open
to hold
to give
to take
ours is a finger-nation
that can index anger
that can accuse,
but a five-finger land
is hand
because thumb
must break bread
with other digits
or starve
because hand is not hand
that is all indexed;
we were always fingered
in our horror
in our recoil
in our accusation
in our grief and remorse,
fingered
in recovery too.
