‘These Are The Hands’, Michael Rosen

A windfall apple is an apple that has fallen from a tree. When we gather windfalls, we help ourselves to apples that happen to have fallen.

In this exercise, we help ourselves to words that have arrived by chance, and use these to inspire our own creative endeavours.

How to use our ‘windfall words’ exercise

Here is an extract from the poem, ‘These are the Hands’ by Michael Rosen (2008)

These are the hands
That touch us first
Feel your head
Find the pulse
And make your bed.

These are the hands
That tap your back
Test the skin
Hold your arm
Wheel the bin
Change the bulb
Fix the drip
Pour the jug
Replace your hip.
These are the Hands, Michael Rosen

Rosen’s poem was written in celebration of the NHS and the work that is done within it to support human life.

We’ll use this poem to generate our collection of windfall words. Can you write a short poem or passage about someone or thing that you are grateful for? Use as many of these words as possible.

Your windfall words are…
Hands – Touch – Pulse – Arm – Bed – Change – Fix – Replace

To practice gratitude can be a way to be present to your experience, rather than worrying about the past or future. If you would like to repeat this exercise, writing about other people or things that you are grateful for, you can do so as many times as you would like.