Ellie—behold
your indelible fingers!
A thousand—
or more
generations
are in there. Myself
included—and
the big helpful hands
of your parents,
of course—as well as the palms
of each
tender pair
of theirs. But it's
not merely! those
of your ancestors—for
inside each
little fingernail
there's a future.
A place
where obscure
weightless multitudes
are gathered—abiding even now
in the incredible
power
you hold
as creator—
of such a wordless
and beautiful
future—
for each
unimaginable son
and impossible daughter!
of your own
children's
possible
handfuls—of children.