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HAIRCUT
The traditional peppermint twist
pole,
and–$10.00 a cut, plus tip–price,
sold me on Isaac's Best Haircuts Barbershop.
Bolodenka, a gentleman from Uzbekistan,
who spoke little English, did an OK job for me.
Before every haircut I'd say, "Not too short."
After every haircut he'd say, "See you next month."
And so it was, with each month torn from my
2003 Fleet Bank Desk Calendar,
for over a year.
One afternoon–
Comb and scissors clipping my hair in tandem,
he paused twice to gaze across the room–
TV game show action.
Bolo, baby,
Zen Buddhists say:
When I eat, I eat.
When I sleep, I sleep.
I say:
When you cut my hair, you cut my hair–
No American-style multi-tasking bullshit.
But, instead, I remained silent.
No need to waste energy.
Fuck Bolodenka!
The traditional peppermint twist pole,
and–$12.00 a cut, plus tip–price,
sold me on Executive Barbershop.
Yakov, a gentleman from Russia,
who spoke little English, did an OK job for me.
Before every haircut I'd say, "Not too short."
After every haircut he'd try to sell me conditioner.
And so it was, with each month torn from my
2004 Fleet Bank Desk Calendar,
for over a year.
One afternoon–
Comb and scissors clipping my hair in tandem,
Three muffled musical notes buzzed into our air–
He paused, reached for the cell phone,
and tucked it between his left shoulder and ear.
Yammering Russian and clipping my hair.
Yakov, baby,
Zen Buddhists say:
When I eat, I eat.
When I sleep, I sleep.
I say:
When you cut my hair, you cut my hair–
No American-style multi-tasking bullshit.
But, instead, I remained silent.
No need to waste energy.
Fuck Yakov!
Up in the Bronx,
there was Foo's Gift Shop, on Belmont.
Mr. Foo sold bags and backpacks,
porcelain elephant plant stands,
and replaced watch batteries.
In back, was a metal folding chair.
On which, I sat. Relaxed–
As a dark-eyed,
orange butterfly, fluttered above me.
Snipping a song–for $8.00 flat.
Ted Jonathan is a poet
and short story writer. Born and raised in the Bronx, he lives
in Manhattan. His work has appeared in New York Quarterly,
Chiron Review, Slant, Skidrow Penthouse, Iconoclast, and a
number of other literary journals. His chapbook Spiked Libido
was published by Neukeia Press. A full length collection 10,000
Keys to Nowhere is forthcoming. His books are available a
www.nyquarterly.com--link to NYQ store. He can be contacted at
theodorejon@yahoo.com |