Lipi Gandhi – Idiomatic Hands [Video]

By Button Poetry

A Semi-Finalist from the 2020 Button Poetry video contest.
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Transcript provided by YouTube (unedited)

0:06
i untie the ribbon for the 11th
0:08
time to make a perfect bow around the
0:11
painting wrapped in a glossy newspaper
0:15
how i cannot wait to see the expression
0:18
of awe
0:19
i have been obsessed with people being
0:21
in awe of things my hands created
0:25
always waiting for a greater number of
0:26
show of hands
0:28
i always aim to have a hot hand as if i
0:30
live in a planet that has only spring
0:33
and where even the blunders look iconic
0:36
fresh paint bottles slipping out of
0:38
hands and making a masterpiece
0:41
out of a mistake
0:55
i tried to stretch my fingers as far as
0:57
possible
0:58
so that there’s enough space for
1:00
everything and still not have my hands
1:02
full
1:02
i learned to do splits only to know
1:05
how does it feel to feel beautiful and
1:08
proud
1:09
while trying to cover the beginnings and
1:11
the end at the same time
1:13
but you see the funny thing about
1:15
stretching is it requires you to push
1:17
yourself to feel the pain
1:19
and relax at the same time to master the
1:21
stretch to make clenching teeth look
1:23
like a wide smile
1:24
calling roots clam to the soil free like
1:27
an autumn leaf
1:29
my hands tell me that they have
1:31
forgotten the sound of cracking of tired
1:34
knuckles
1:35
and i reprimand and deal a heavy hand to
1:37
them
1:38
for their unreasonable demand for
1:40
relaxing
1:41
how easily do they forget that there is
1:43
no upper hand coming to save us
1:47
and it’s only the awe of people who will
1:49
bring us the lifeboats of the need
1:50
arises
1:51
or how my hands will have to build the
1:53
lifeboats making
1:54
people who said their hands were tight
1:56
staring away the lives that
1:58
can be saved
2:04
i want people in awe of emotions
2:08
they have in themselves that surfaced
2:11
after they felt saw
2:12
listen to art things disaster was
2:15
created by my hands
2:17
and i want my hands to smile at the
2:20
strength they have
2:21
to hold the things when they get heavier
2:23
like sand and rain
2:24
and i want them to be proud of the way
2:27
they curl in the same fashion when
2:28
bruised or velvet club requires a
2:30
helping hand
2:31
and to be brave enough to take matters
2:34
into my hands
2:35
when broken social system go out of hand
2:38
to make every utopian philosopher’s
2:40
speech less unbelievable
2:41
at the end of the day my hands would
2:44
know
2:44
that they are the reason why they are in
2:47
safe hands
2:59
you

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This post was previously published on YouTube.

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