Upstairs Downstairs

He got up, put on his hair
his socks, his pants, his shoes
then into the bathroom
to the mirror

To be clear, he’d lost his hair
where ….. some dairy farm ….. somewhere
he used to stare and stare
and wonder where he’d dare to go
without his hair

There was the man downstairs
he’d lost his leg, an accident somewhere
then one day a prosthesis that increased his … step
up every morning one leg then the other
one
saves him from the eyes
that see his missing foot
before they see the man that stands
before them

Upstairs he now combs, his morning hair
he’s not ashamed
not any more than the man downstairs
to the best of his ability he’s dealing with
his “disability”

He watched his hair fall … out
it was all the thought about
all the doubts
would he ever again go out

He was bald and … his loss
was nothing in comparison
to lost body parts
it was that very fact
he couldn’t counter-attack

His loss, his hair
“Hey, who cares.”
his friends would offhandedly say …..
they didn’t see the top headed stares
it was his hair
that unexplainable feeling that fell
to the floor every time he went out the door

He had to face ….. it
he had two arms, two legs
but
all he could see was his hair
gone
those stares, those steps
it was rare
when he didn’t reflect … that his hair was
gone

He had his fingers, and his legs
but
he couldn’t run his fingers through his hair

He had all his abilities
silly to be so vain
about “this” disability

Mirror, mirror on the wall
why me, why bald
silly to be so vain
in a way

But to be seen …
Not from the top … down

So fortunate
to handshake
to talk
to walk
yes

Yet
he put on his head set
so he could handshake, talk, and walk
to be seen
as he saw himself
not bald
et all

His handi … cap, a hair piece
a part
that gave him heart
to be seen whole
first
saved him from second thoughts

So
he put his hair on
upstairs
downstairs,
his neighbor put on his right leg

They left together
to face
their ability
to be
viewed
as they see themselves
as they are
whole

1-23-03