Alice Walker, A Poem Traveled Down My Arm

While writing the previous post about the Etsy treasury, I started flipping through A Poem Traveled Down My Arm. I was reminded of reasons that I love this book and Alice Walker's writing so much. I really need to read more of her books. I have several I haven't read yet, so I think I will read one of them next.

A Poem Traveled Down My Arm is an interesting book. It is filled with little poems and writings and drawings. I love to write quotes in cards, and there are so many great quotes in this one little book.

As I was flipping through the book, I came across one of my favorites, "What is a promise if not your hand in mine?" I started thinking about all of the meanings held in this one little sentence. It is so simple and profound. One thing it makes me think of is my nieces's hands in mine. My sister and I took them for a walk the other day and they had to hold our hands because we were walking along the street. Their little hands in mine were a promise...my promise to keep them safe and their promise to trust me to do so. Of course, there is also the obvious, romantic meaning; I don't feel like I even need to address that. It also makes me think of the promise of a friend's hand in mine, like when my grandpa died last summer, the promise of love and support, the promise that it's okay to cry. And it makes me think of the promise the last time I held my grandpa's hand, which was the last time that I saw him alive. It makes me think of how glad I am that I took his hand that day, no matter how briefly. I think back to all of the hands I've held and all of the various reasons, and I'm so glad that I've had so many hands to hold, so many who have held my hand, no matter how lengthy or how fleeting it was. And I'm thankful and happy for the hands that even now I still have the opportunity to hold.