This is an excerpt from The Hand by Amado V. Hernandez.
Hagurin ng tanaw ang ating palibot:
taniman, gawaan, lansangan, bantayog,
lupa, dagat, langit, ay pawang sinakop,
at kamay ng tao ang nagpapakilos.
Ang mga kamay ko'y binihasang sadya
sa kakaharaping gawai't dalita;
pangit and daliring humabi ng sutla,
tumuklas ng ginto'y kamay ng paggawa.
Habang ang kamay mo o aking Pagibig,
kambal na bulaklak--mabango, malinis;
kung may sakit ako o nasa panganib,
dantay ng kamay mo ay isa nang langit.
Nguni't tingnan yaong kamay ng Orasan,
may itinuturo't waring nagsasaysay:
"Tao, kayong lahat ay may katapusan
na itatadhana nitong aking kamay!"
Observe carefully our world:
fields, factories, streets, statues,
earth, sea, sky have been dominated
by the hands of men, which can move mountains.
I too trained my hands for expert work,
to prepare for the hard days ahead;
how ugly my words woven into silk,
compared to the hands of the worker mining gold.
My hands, oh dearest love, were
like flowers, clean and fragrant;
and when I am ill or in danger,
the touch of your hand is healing balm.
And all the while the hands of the clock,
point to the prophetic mouth:
"Man, all of you will meet the end
decreed by this--time's hand!"