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As a kid I dreaded the days I had to get my hair braided

It would be a Saturday morning, and my mom would

Have just washed my hair the night before.

The washing was the fun part;

I would crouch over

the kitchen sink and as she

And I gossiped and traded stories,

She shampooed and conditioned

The weeks grease and tangles away.

And I remember her hands gently caressing

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And massaging my scalp as she combed.

It always put me to sleep.

And the mornings after,

As I rose with the sun,

She carried me over to The Hot Chair.

See, we came to name it that

Because of the way our bums burned

After hours of doing hair.

And although I’m much older now,

And I braid my own hair,

My hands don’t feel the same as hers

And my reflection isn’t as chatty

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Neriah Otu
Neriah Otu

Written by Neriah Otu

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Just a 20-year-old writing her way through mess, memory, and meaning