Knots

Knotted hands,
Browned from the sun
Lay on the wood
Indistinguishable, one from the other

Cords, a twisted rope
Bind you to the altar
Bind you to the world

Iron links
Secure you
Cling to you
Coldly

A single chain
Thin and gold and beautiful
Holds you down

You cannot fly
You cannot be free
You suffer in silence
You suffer alone

But knotted hands,
Old, browned, withered,
Untie you,
Let you go,
And then they melt back into the wood
Silent saviors
Unthanked
Unknown
But for you--
Unforgettable