Question

Why were the people walking with their hands away from their bodies? What was common to all of them? What message does the poem convey?

Answer 1

The people were walking with their hands away from their bodies because the friction on their burns caused so much pain that they feared rubbing flesh against flesh. Silence was a common feature to all the suffering men and women.
The poem is an attack on all who are still engaged in piling up nuclear and other deadly weapons of war. The wars must be stopped and nuclear weapons should be totally destroyed.