Ode to Hair
photo by Yoann Boyer
To the past me, who sees vitality in the dense foliage of her hair.
To the present me, who mourns the passage of time, and with it, the slight thinning of her forest.
To the future me, who becomes excited at the prospect of exploring new greeneries.
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Like black ink,
dripping, sliding smoothly down paper
Or as a hurricane,
unruly, unpredictable, untamable
In many forms, unflinchingly, you continue to grace me with your presence
You are at times a foe
Mostly, a friend
And though I may envy the easy camaraderie others may share
It is ours, the relationship I’ll forever cherish
For you are at the very essence of me,
The blinding crown I don with pride on my strong days
The shrouding darkness I use to hide in on my weaker ones
Neither need for justification, nor explanation
For we know each other too well
It is this with you:
You are strong
Taking the Egyptian heat in stride
With nary a complaint
For my sake and protection
You are weak
Against the vicious onslaughts
Of howling wind and humidity
You are soft
Very much as can be
A depiction in its purest form of the wings of an angel
Flanking the sides of my face
With armor as tender and sensitive as a pillow
You are frustrating
To no end
A battleground for
Our many fights as I attempt to comb through you
Your length, too,
The source of both my irritation and joy
And it is then,
In those happy times I have with you
That you are also my warrior
My weapon
Against those who speak ill
In those unhappy times they have with me
Fuming
Tentacled
Poised and at the ready
And with the flick of a wrist
Near somebody’s face,
You attack
Never
Will I willingly part with you
“Cut it.”
No.
“It’s too long.”
Nonsense. No such thing as that.
“Chop it off. It’ll grow back even longer.” -
...well, yes, that might be true
But the time until then
Would stretch longer than seasons
And so why would I? When I can cherish you like this and keep us forever in the merriment of spring?
I recognize
You are not everlasting
Your vitality will fade
But your memory will remain,
Memory of youth and strength
Memory of love and care
Memory of my crown
Memory of my precious hair
