[lit-ideas] Re: Sunday Poem
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 10:45:36 -0800
I keep thinking no more words will arrive,
that I'll be done.
I'll hand the pen off,
and be gone,
past the very low podium,
through the stadium door,
ignoring the souvenir laurel stand,
and the one selling genuine rawhide,
McGonagall brand,
language manglers' gloves.
On that day, you'll find me across the street,
in the Tom Crib snug,
supping up the ideal pint of bitter,
with perfect head.
But because last week I found
in the local Dollar Shoppe--
the "e" sounds--
age-defying cream, with alpha hydroxy,
and Dax pomade,
compounded with vegetable oils,
"recommended for hair that breaks short,"
now out comes this:
The hair fairy came into my room about two in the morning.
She was a good-looking woman with a no-nonsense mien,
and fabulous locks.
I asked what became of the Tinkerbelle type,
in tutu, wings and frills.
"Couldn't hack it...
pillow elbow, for one thing...
all that heavy lifting..."
And is it equal opportunity now?
Do many men apply?
"No."
I offered her tea,
herbal, no caffeine.
We talked of harvesting.
Teeth is apparently where you start,
an apprentice job.
For hair, she said,
you need more pluck,
pun intended,
and, if you're not to wake the punters,
lots of luck.
Finally there's drool,
with no tips at all,
and product by the bucketful.
I asked her where all the stuff goes.
She said she really didn't know.
"Probably outsourced now...
I did hear that in one of the 'stans
there's giant barns,
where colorful peasants weave white hair cardies
for fair trade stores...
but it could be rumor."
We heard a sudden knock.
She said she had to go.
It was but a branch, landing on the roof.
For a long while after,
I lay simply trying
to figure if I should have inquired further,
whether it would have been polite to ask,
more,
about those who come for skin.
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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