 |
| Somebody in the House of Representatives is a big backer of these sharks |
Scrapping paid for haircuts for
Some time when I went through
My retirement check on the first
Paying all the bills and not wanting
To ask for four dollars. It wasn’t
Lucrative, nor sustaining, but it
Filled a gap, and was relatively
Easy. Mostly, when walking
Loki, if I’d see an aluminum
Can on the ground I’d bag it.
Every six weeks when I could
Stand a trim, I would have received
Enough from the recycler (the
Scrapyard) to shell out maybe
Even tip a dollar. These were
Student cuts at the barber college
On Lorain. I’d always get prompt
Service because my cuts were
Bare bones beginners’ trims
And were completed quickly.
Almost certain somebody thought
“They’re taking the white guy
First.” But they weren’t. They
Were taking anybody who had
Basic cuts they could throw to
The newest students, that’s all.
The quicker they made their
Four bucks the happier they
Were. That they made me as
Happy was beer foam on the
Pickle. I never had the same
Student twice because in six
Weeks they may have rotated
All that class out. I’d just say
To the barber-to-be (man or
Woman as the times had it),
“Just slap a number three on
And zip it all over, but taper
The back.” Usually he/she
Had a look of relief hearing
The order and knew this was
Good practice even though
The supervisor had to check
Their work. Then, depending
On whether either one of us
Wanted to talk, we’d settle on
A topic and exchange ideas
For the while. Start with weather,
How busy the shop was, why
I knew nothing about sports,
By then it’s over. Check the
Mirror for the taper, yep, fine.
I’d always say they did well
And wished them luck. At first
I didn’t tip, then later thought,
It’s only a dollar, I wasn’t
Buying their eternal devotion.
The other customers generally
Presented far better than I.
I’d be wearing my scuzzies
Often enough worn through
At the knees (not trendy jeans,
More like threadbare Dockers)
With grass or dirt stains or
Tinged with recent sawdust.
I wasn’t trying to play poor
I just didn’t need to primp
For a haircut like some guys
Do (the ones who get styled
At a salon and pay close to
Thirty, more if they get a
Shave). Overheard conversation
Was much like I heard on the
Other great leveler, the bus.
A woman on her phone was
Explaining she had to come
By fifty dollars to pay some
Fine at the jail or they’d pick
Her up again, but her job
Wasn’t going to pay until
Friday and she needed the
Money by Wednesday. Now
That probably wasn’t my kind
Of difficulty, coming up with
Half a hundred overnight. I
Wondered if she were one of
Those who’d end up with
Payday lenders, those scumbags
Who charged poor people
Upwards of three hundred per
Cent interest. It turned out I
Had recently read about the
Chairperson of the Democratic
National Committee, Ms. Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, being a
Leading advocate for the payday
Loan industry. I knew all along
There was something I didn’t
Like about that woman which
Had nothing to do with her
Screwing Sanders by limiting
The debates and scheduling them
When few would see them. Ah,
The shit you can learn at the barber’s.
c. J.S.Manista, 2016
