Insomniac’s Lament for the Human Hand
“As members of human society, perhaps the most difficult task we face daily is that of
touching one another” -Anne Carson
I scroll TikTok and count
everyone’s fingers. The machines
always make too many—eight
or nine on each hand. Airbrushed
or backwards. No one knows why.
A spokesperson for Stability AI
says the human hand is too
varied and complex to be
accurately portrayed by datasets.
The first paintings were made
40,000 years ago, on dark cave walls.
Outlined in red clay or charcoal,
the hands of children and their parents
saying, “Look, I was here, this is the shape
my life made.” An assertion of presence
through absence, like an empty grave.
In bed, your hands around my waist.
I can feel everything—the twisted
knuckle on your left hand, the scar
everyone’s fingers. The machines
always make too many—eight
or nine on each hand. Airbrushed
or backwards. No one knows why.
A spokesperson for Stability AI
says the human hand is too
varied and complex to be
accurately portrayed by datasets.
The first paintings were made
40,000 years ago, on dark cave walls.
Outlined in red clay or charcoal,
the hands of children and their parents
saying, “Look, I was here, this is the shape
my life made.” An assertion of presence
through absence, like an empty grave.
In bed, your hands around my waist.
I can feel everything—the twisted
knuckle on your left hand, the scar
you got playing soccer. You squeeze
and I laugh. Something moves with us, slow
heat lightning purpling our soft bodies.
In the end, we are bone.
Raise your hand. I will not flinch.
and I laugh. Something moves with us, slow
heat lightning purpling our soft bodies.
In the end, we are bone.
Raise your hand. I will not flinch.
Max Gillette is a queercrip poet from Detroit, MI. Their work has been published in Arkana Magazine, Thimble Literary Magazine, Winnow Magazine, Sage Cigarettes, and elsewhere. Max’s poetry has appeared in digital prosody guides and has been nominated for Best of the Net. Max is currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing at Ohio State University, where they teach poetry and edit for The Journal.
Beaver Magazine 