Buddha squirrel

I held my own hands

When I scheduled this post, I was about halfway through my Trauma Touch Therapy externship. When I complete that part of the program, I will be certified to practice this somatic therapy. A lot of it looks like sitting with my clients and helping them tune into the sensations in their bodies.

This poem was inspired by a session that featured a lot of stillness and attention to the hands.

—

I held my own hands,
folded over my belly
like that Buddha squirrel
we saw at the park
I sat so still and so alert
to my hands
to the intertwining of fingers
skin interlaced,
unmoving
except my heart
pulsing through —
it beats gently
and true
and speeds up
when I think of you —
and when I come back
to my hands,
they’ve blended into
one warm thing
soft and heavy
on my belly

—

I’d love to hear from you. I want to know what you think. Did you like this poem? Did any part of it resonate with you? Let me know.