Arms
for Nancy & Lithera

when we hug do we give or do we take

reflect upon an encounter recently
with a friend of mine, with a friend of hers
another friend of mine

though I touched my friend who is ill
with affection, laid hands on her, squeezed her arm
and stroked her arm lovingly
I kept apart, kept her at arm's length

hypochondriasis what I am afflicted with
friend with her got and gave big embrace

thinking back now, I wonder,
who needed a hug more

could have made her a few degrees better
did I instead make her a few degrees worse

was I only pretending to care
touching with an arm extended
keeping her at arms length

embracing friend with her
with so much heart and so happy to

certainly I slighted her, avoiding her
and she must have noticed, must have felt it

think how much more she must have needed a hug
could have used a huge hug

unable, like Christ, to mingle, to make friends with
the sick, the dying, the dead
able to embrace them and to restore them

how spiritually puny I am in comparison
having to think about my own skin

selfishly aware and mindful that
there's no flesh, no skin sweeter
than that which decks my very own bones

she is skin and bones
is life sweet still or bitter tasting


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
12:35 p.m. 16.10.09