THE PRAYING HANDS

They are not “Praying Hands” at all -
they are a prisoner's hands,
bound together at the wrist
for reasons no one understands.
It is a simple pencil sketch
in starkest black and white -
but it puts the horror of the War
in a blinding light.
Two hands that speak of violence
although no word is spoken;
when I saw the praying hands
my heart was nearly broken.

©Christina Sharik
November 1998