with these two hands...

With these two hands,

    I go very early

to fetch a jar

         of water

for the day... 

   I am up with 

the birds as they

     begin to sing

their songs to 

          the world

in the soft

    morning light,  

 before the sun's 

       beams have 

begun to peak

    over the 

          mountains... 

With these two hands, 

    I care for my 

baby sister, 

       making sure that

she is bathed

  and, when there is food, 

fed... 

    I comfort her

when she cries, and 

clothe her for the 

            day... 

I sit in a circle

    with other children

and, with these two 

   hands, play a game

with lava rocks

     at the foot of 

the volcano... 

   the sounds of 

the city fill

      my ears... 

  the bustle of  

people at the 

       markets, 

 motorbikes and

   other vehicles

slowly bounce

        along the

pothole-ridden 

   dirt and gravel 

roads, 

    babies cry in 

the distance... 

   I press these two 

hands together

     in a quiet

prayer... 

With these two hands, 

    I wipe the dust

and the tears

    from my face... 

   tears of sadness

and regret...

With these two hands, 

   I begin to draw

my story

   on an old

 white handkerchief... 

  the markers

bleeding 

      into the fabric... 

 With these two hands, 

     I was forced to kill

my parents... 

        orphaned by 

my own two hands... 

I was forced

          to do 

    unspeakable things

with these 

      two hands... 

   the weight 

        of which 

you will never 

    know...

 With these two hands,

     I barely

         escaped

the rebels... 

   I walked

          for days

in the bush

   before someone

       found me... 

  These two hands

I raise high 

     into the air

to praise the God

   who brought me

out of death

   and into new 

       life... 

  and gave me

      peace

         &

        joy

beyond what 

    I can understand...

Now, with these 

       two hands, 

I lead the 

      other children

in songs

     of peace,

using an old

        jerrycan

as a drum, 

   and wood 

for drumsticks...

  These two hands

now join the hands

      of others

           as we dance

together

   and sing songs

of hope & forgiveness... 

  With these two hands,

I hope to show my 

      people a better way... 

a way

   of peace.