Mark Maxey's "The Hands" follows a relationship between a son and his father, using the image of hands to mark each stage. At first, the child's small hand is held by a larger one that guides him. The father teaches him to pray and to fish, and the son feels lucky to have a dad he can truly call his own. Later, the boy comes home from school with stories about his day, and the father listens warmly, smiling and saying "some day my son."
The last stanza reverses the picture at the start. Now the son's hands wrap around his father's, and he stays strong beside him as he dies. The poem suggests the father's final words are a kind of blessing: his son has done him proud. The mood is tender and grateful, with a quiet sadness at the end. The simple, plain language fits the subject, since love here is shown through small, steady acts rather than grand speeches.