A POET WRITES A THOUGHTFUL AND INSIGHTFUL POEM ABOUT WHAT IS LOST WHEN ONE LOSES ONE’S HAIR.
Los Angeles Guerilla Poet, Kenny Rose Butts, writes on the emotional topic of hair loss and hair replacement.
UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS
He got up, put on his hair
his socks, his pants, his shoes
then into the bathroom
to the mirror
To be clear, he’d lost his hair
where ….. some dairy farm ….. somewhere
he used to stare and stare
and wonder where he’d dare to go
without his hair
There was the man downstairs
he’d lost his leg, an accident somewhere
then one day a prosthesis that increased his … step
up every morning one leg then the other one
saves him from the eyes
that see his missing foot
before they see the man that stands
before them
Upstairs he now combs, his morning hair
he’s not ashamed
not any more than the man downstairs
to the best of his ability, he’s dealing with
his “disability”
He watched his hair fall … out
it was all he thought about
all the doubts would he ever again go out
He was bald and … his loss
was nothing in comparison
to lost body parts
it was that very fact
he couldn’t counter-attack
His loss, his hair
“Hey, who cares.”
his friends would offhandedly say …..
they didn’t see the top headed stares
it was his hair that unexplainable feeling that fell
to the floor every time he went out the door
He had to face ….. it he had two arms, two legs
but all he could see was his hair
gone those stares, those steps
it was rare when he didn’t reflect … that his hair was gone
He had his fingers, and his legs but
he couldn’t run his fingers through his hair
He had all his abilities
silly to be so vain
about “this” disability
Mirror, mirror on the wall
why me, why bald
silly to be so vain in a way
But to be seen …
Not from the top … down
So fortunate
to handshake
to tal
to walk yes
Yet he put on his head set
so he could handshake, talk, and walk
to be seen
as he saw himself
not bald et all
His handi … cap, a hairpiece
a part that gave him heart
to be seen whole
first saved him from second thoughts
So he put his hair on upstairs
downstairs, his neighbor put on his right leg
They left together
to face their ability
to be viewed
as they see themselves
as they are whole