Palm Reading for Small Hands

by Aileen Ma

I gently
trace sinew and fiber
prodding lines
probing answers

Everything is a
question, a wonder

Every crease that starts
beneath the heart line
to the middle finger

Nothing really seems
to know
to uncover

Maybe I should make
the study of palms for
those with small hands
my career

I would
sketch diagrams
of palm against wall against
twin hand

but first we
would start with
an analysis of a faraway
view of
your nail chipped fingers
and those
tense hands
folded
grasping

forever at something
familiarly unknown
a sweet
not to be had

I read my palm
to discover
that
I have
no fate line

no trace of a balance
between heart
and head
and life path

only a few broken traces
of an attempt
to etch
something out of nothing

Pink nails
curl inwards
and sigh
pointing out
the alignment
of borrowed pen
to life line