The skin recognizes
what was hair, what pleases
the skin to be close, don't
give it a name
when you drown it,
don't celebrate or take
too reverent a time
stretching it past normalcy
and pinning down
its length. That said,
be kind––the fabric is weak
when saturated, too heavy
to do anything but sag itself
long and lacking if allowed.
Sort the rest of the laundry
by color, steady
your folds and do not think
too much about the fur
on your arms, gold
in the dingy basement light as you
brush the hair away from your eyes.
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