Blondie Jr.

A box of L'Oréal Performing Preference permanent crème-in hair dye. A face framed by light wavy hair is in the background with an eye and eyebrow visible above the text box.

In the drugstore

I pause at a wall

of blond boxes

watching me

sending me backward in time to

Granny’s smoky-yellow kitchen.

I tingle with

that old ache

for magicical transformation.

Ambitious, I pick

a honey-blond beauty,

bring her home to help.

Pulling on

plastic gloves,

my eyes yelp

at the sharp scent of ammonia.

I combine potions,

ignore instructions.

Slather my head

with burning elixir

sit, face squinched

dabbing flaming drips

as I’ve seen Mom do

so often.

This sour expression

never pictured on the box.

Finally,

I wash away the stringy brown

and unveil a new neon shade

radiant tangerine!

Not a quitter,

I repeat, get

highlighter yellow!

My hair, now

brittle, starts

shedding in the shower again,

but the pale strands

never show.

Just tickle my palms

while water

flows through my fingers.