When I was a child, my hair was long
My mother made braids, tight and strong.
My hair was straight and really quite dark,
Those two braids were my trademark.
But after grade six, my hair was shorn;
And then how would those locks ever be worn?
Off to the beauty parlor I went for a perm
Under the wires and heat I did squirm.
How I wished for hair that was curly,
Not needing a perm once or twice yearly!
In high school I did pin curls; I fought with my hair
I longed for a ’do that really had flair;
But straight and fine was ever my lot,
Whatever I wanted, it was not what I got.
When motherhood came I had no time for curls
But still wanting to be one of the girls
I had hairdos on Saturdays every week
My hair was expensive but ever so sleek!
I slept in a hairnet and never got messed;
If caught in a rainstorm I was ever so fussed.
Then came the 70s and tight fuzzy perms.
My afros were kinky, purchased and firm
They gave me the Brillo award for my tresses
So then I decided, “enough of these messes.”
I’d probably curled my locks to excesses,
It was time to quit all these salon processes.
So I gradually cut my hair to the bone
Grew out its colour, and as I had known
My grey hair appeared in numbers profuse.
Now my locks see only gel or some mousse.
My hair has always been the bane of my life
At last I’m relaxed: goodbye to “hair strife!”
On the Boardwalk 