Blog, Thought Provoking

Handle With Care

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Handle With Care

Would that we walk this earth with care labels
Visible on the outside that others might see
and know how we might be treated with care
To handle some as delicate with a gentle touch
Leaving to air dry in peace
and others with high heat and a heavy hand
Perhaps a warm iron if necessary 
We come without a handbook
of parts and assembly
Many times with fragile contents
and missing hardware
Who could understand how we are made up
and which piece should fit where
 
         Lift the memory carefully from the mind
         
         Caution: edges may be sharp 
         Place carefully away from harsh words
         said without thought or empathy
         as object could easily damage
 
 
Copyright © 2021 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing
All Rights Reserved


Linda Lyberg from Charmed Chaos is hosting Open Link
Night at D'Verse Poets

Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash

This is a "Found Poem" by taking words on instruction
labels or manual and using them for something else.

  35 comments for “Handle With Care”

  1. akolzol
    March 8, 2021 at 8:33 am

    Wow so lovely 😊

  2. 1dancequeendq
    March 8, 2021 at 7:37 am

    Needed to be said/written.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 8, 2021 at 8:55 am

      Thanks Bernadette ☺️

  3. akolzol
    March 7, 2021 at 11:50 pm

    Thanks for sharing

    • Christine Bolton
      March 8, 2021 at 8:56 am

      Thank you ☺️

  4. Zelda Rene
    March 7, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    Standing ovation here–labels would be SO helpful…(I hope–some would ignore them, sadly).

    • Christine Bolton
      March 7, 2021 at 10:32 pm

      Thank you Zelda. I really appreciate it ☺️

      • Zelda Rene
        March 7, 2021 at 10:34 pm

        You’re welcome.

  5. Björn Rudberg (brudberg)
    March 7, 2021 at 8:07 am

    I love how you reused the words from a manual in another context… it’s also frightening that we tend to follow the instructions when it comes to things, but forget them when it’s about humans.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 7, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Yes, isn’t that the truth? Thanks Bjorn ☺️

  6. Candice Leigh
    March 6, 2021 at 8:39 am

    I can relate to this so very much. This is a great piece.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 6, 2021 at 10:17 am

      Thank you Candice ☺️

  7. sanaarizvi
    March 5, 2021 at 7:23 pm

    This is incredibly deep and profound. I feel humanity is hanging by a thread these days. People don’t have empathy anymore like they used to.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 6, 2021 at 10:16 am

      Yes Sanaa, I was feeling the same as you. We are becoming more and more insulated and are caring less for others. It is so sad. The virus has changed out world and I’m not sure we will ever be the same again. 🥲

  8. K.Hartless
    March 5, 2021 at 4:04 pm

    Your poem reminded me of a song I really like, so I’m leaving it here in hopes it will resonate with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuOXhr9rDZ4&ab_channel=TheJademacrae

    • Christine Bolton
      March 6, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Yes it certainly did. Thank you so much for sharing it ☺️

  9. Linda Lee Lyberg
    March 5, 2021 at 9:09 am

    I love this Christine, and wouldn’t life be so much easier if we did come with instructions. But then, how would we ever learn our life lessons? Well done!

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 11:15 am

      You’re right Linda. We would be devoid of emotion. Life‘s lessons in being cognizant that others might be feeling pain. Shouldn’t be too hard for most of us I’m sure. ☺️

  10. merrildsmith
    March 5, 2021 at 8:32 am

    I love this idea. Yes, we should treat people this way. We never know what others are carrying inside.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 11:13 am

      Thanks. I continually remind myself of that. We don’t know what we don’t know 😞

  11. Ingrid
    March 5, 2021 at 7:34 am

    I love this idea! All too often people seem uncaring, but who knows what emotional baggage they are carrying themselves?

  12. Ingrid
    March 5, 2021 at 7:33 am

    This is a wonderful idea. All to often people don’t seem to care, but who knows what they’ve been through?

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 8:10 am

      Exactly! Some people really need them.

  13. Ingrid
    March 5, 2021 at 7:32 am

    I love the idea of people coming with care labels! Sometimes I think people are so harsh and uncaring, but who knows what troubles they have been through? Better understanding all round would be a good thing.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 8:11 am

      So true Ingrid. Many people live with demons. It’s very sad.

  14. kim881
    March 5, 2021 at 3:10 am

    A well-found poem, Christine! Isn’t it amazing that poems can be found anywhere and everywhere?! I could do with a care label too. I especially love the lines:
    ‘To handle some as delicate with a gentle touch
    Leaving to air dry in peace
    and others with high heat and a heavy han’
    and
    ‘Place carefully away from harsh words
    said without thought or empathy
    as object could easily damage’.

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 7:11 am

      Thank you Kim. I’m so happy you liked it. I always tell my husband that he should have come with instructions! ☺️

  15. ben Alexander
    March 5, 2021 at 3:01 am

    I am so, so, so with you on this, Christine.

    -David

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 7:08 am

      Thanks David. Makes you think, doesn’t it? ☺️

  16. Tricia Sankey
    March 4, 2021 at 11:49 pm

    So many of us need that label “Handle with Care” today. Insightful poem full of compassion! ❤

    • Christine Bolton
      March 5, 2021 at 7:07 am

      Thank you Tricia ☺️

  17. msjadeli
    March 4, 2021 at 11:46 pm

    <3 <3 <3

  18. Sadje
    March 4, 2021 at 10:42 pm

    If only it was that easy. Well said Christine

    • Christine Bolton
      March 4, 2021 at 11:40 pm

      Yes it would be easier, that’s for sure Sadje 🥰

      • Sadje
        March 5, 2021 at 12:19 am

        👍👍👍

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