Monday Morning Hair

Every morning, before school, I had to french plait my daughter’s hair.

Brush from root to waist, bristles ripple, smooth
nut brown strands,sunlit streaks into steady, weighted, draping
fall of waist length hair. Take one hand span, fingertips on smooth forehead,
curl the tips to gather at the centre, gently part three-wise,
hook heavy lock
over thumb and pinkie, gather and cross one over two, rest, three over one.
Divide, scoop, gather,one over two, three over one, smooth,
divide, cross, pause. Fingernail-comb to the ends, separate and
straighten. Gather, cross, turn and return, smooth, one
Over two over
three. Rest. Untangle. Cross and gather and turn. Return.
Even furrows in mahogany hair. Line matching line.
Capture the shine. Train, restrain, cross and return
Gather, shape, three over one over two.
on to the end. Slimmer and slimmer
Then bind the last with a twirl
a curl a
snap.

 

Eventually I made her have it cut!!