Going Digital

In an analog way

The Psalmist says, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made.” And one of our most wonderful endowments are those appendages at the ends of our arms. They are our point of contact with others and the world. With them, we take, but we also give. We use them for communication, both to accompany the spoken word and for various forms of silent communication. We take them for granted largely, until we injure them or lose the use of them.

What would we be without them?

I’ve chosen the ghazal to reflect the variety of ways this gift enhances and influences our existence. I was surprised by the number of rhyming words I was able to find in order to keep adding stanzas.

Since the ghazal is a rather free and open-ended form that doesn’t dictate a set length, I will invite some reader-participation: If you care to add a stanza of your own to the poem, please do so in the comments.

Thanks for taking a moment today to spend some time with me.

Going Digital

Our bodies come with many gifts. Let’s celebrate one, singers—
Among the most needful is the gift of hands and fingers.

Thank goodness for the peals rung out by those adept bell-ringers
who grasp and pull the ropes wrapped around their fingers.

Guitars, too, would be silent sans the help of handy stringers
who tune and fret and strum them with eager, practiced fingers.

(Some spend hours practicing, playing notes that land like stingers,
offset by softer, subtler tones played with strong and supple fingers.)

The start, the spark, the jag, the jolt, the frisson—how it lingers
when you shock me suddenly with your electric fingers.

Caught inside a car door. Damn, that hurts! Talk about humdingers!
When they’re injured, you realize just how much you need your fingers. 

For good or ill, they can be either joy or sorrow-bringers.
Let’s honor those who always make a blessing of their fingers.

Though your own may be unlovely, Don, not long, shapely clingers,
it really makes no difference to that pencil in your fingers.