This Is How I Brush My Hair
#This Is How I Brush My Hair
Step gingerly, one foot at a time
out of the shower-bath and wrap
a lone giant fluffy pink towel
around myself. Steam drifts slowly
from my body like 8 grams of soul
departing.
Peel exactly one sheet of two-ply
from the toilet paper roll
and wipe the tri-fold mirror
up and down with practiced
squeaks; I wave to my refection
and she waves back
heavily.
They say at the end of the day
all a man ever really has is
his word, and a woman
her reputation, so my
face bears the cratered terrain
of a life's reputation earned
brutally.
Morning sarcastically caresses
each pit, bump and scar on my left
cheek. I find I have started to like
the right half of my face more,
partially veiled in brief 7 o'clock
shadows.
Grasp a hunk of mouse-brown hair
in my fist and drag the brush through
the ends. I have no idea if this is
how you do it; mom never taught me,
never braided me in pigtails
or pulled it back in a pony. Never
bothered.
Yank through a knot with all the
subtlety of a boxer, because that's
what I was trained to do. Fight the
world, beat it back from the doorstep,
never give them the upperhand,
and don't let them see you
cry.
Count the hairs trapped between the
tines. Three, four, five. No, six. More
than yesterday. Pop three pills in
my grimace and hope for the best.
Maybe there will be fewer
tomorrow.
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[imagine the deep] (https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/4gbu5b/imagine_the_deep/)
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[And Then She Did It Anyway] (https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/4g4gyh/and_then_she_did_it_anyway/)
Posted May 8, 2016, 6:52 PM UTC · edited