The Heart

The heart – it used to be a mechanism,
pumping blood,
like a candle burning
in a house without light.

Hands, an extension of the heart,
once bound
so tightly it hurt –
so tightly that their absence
now feels like relief.

Do not touch.
Do not create.
Do not feel.

But what if we could shape them anew –
on our own terms,
as long as we need,
as strong as we desire?

Hands
that create,
that speak,
that love.
Hands that embrace the world,
just as they always wanted to.

Let them grow.
Let them reach
beyond memory.

Let them be as long
as you need,
as strong
as you wish.