useless hands

little boy tears a
kool-aide
ocean splash—down
sugared salt
opens the
wound—a
scraped knee
I the woman
bend
prayer fashion
taping a
band-aide blessing—a
water shed comfort
years gone since
then—almost man
stands
shaking—his once
healed knees give
way
buckling he begs
for a fix
my hands
these weak
woman’s hands
wring
useless
desert of worry
trembling

psgates