#28DaysofBlackPoetry: Jamila Woods' Etymology of a Beauty Shop
The beauty shop is where I learned how hard it is
to ask for what you want
to say what you don’t want
to speak up for what is yours
Cringecalm 'krinj-käm \ n.
[From the Old English cringan meaning “to give way, to fall in battle, become bent, curl up” and the Old French calme meaning “the heat of the midday sun, a time when everything rests and is still”]
1. It is the way you grit your gums
and pretend the forest isn’t burning
when it is
2. It is the way you sing to the woodland animals
on your scalp, Snow White like—
’Shhhhhhhhh, little bunnies, that’s not fire on your feet!
That’s just the sound of Disney Magic twinkling!
3. The cringecalm is the way you will do anything
to avoid being called “tender headed”
to be “tender headed” is to be weak
to be weak is to be not strong enough to be beautiful
to be beautiful is to fall gracefully in battle
become bent, curl up, burn
in the heat of the midday sun
rest, be still
My hairdresser once said I looked like I was sick
like I had been living in a hospital
because I had not been to the beauty
shop in weeks, and my roots grew in
and she said I looked sick or bedridden
as if I had not looked in a mirror for months
clawrub \klo-rəb\ n.
[from the Greek khele or “cloven hoof”
and the Scandinavian rubbe, “to rub or scrub”]
1. It is the scrape of Miss Beautician’s inch long
acrylic nails against your head skin
2. It is the dancing of curled taloned birds
across your skull beneath a cool waterfall
3. It is rainy season, the back of your neck rested on the lip
of the head sink and you could almost fall asleep
because the clawrub is a lullaby sung by
pointy-toed horses galloping into the bones
of your head and you could almost fall asleep
closing and opening your eyes in daze
between the salon ceiling, the soft jiggle
of her brown arm, the faucet running
the rubbe, the khele, and the soft clop
of hooves above your brow
The beauty shop is where I learned how hard it is
to ask for what you want
because I did not ask for a haircut
sometimes and I still got one
I did not ask for a relaxer
sometimes and she said “But
my hands hurt from combing
your ugly is hurting my hands
won’t you make this easier on me?”
I had a perm once
and the church ladies said
it was so long
and I should never cut it
I had a perm once
and it rained and I had to go back
I had a perm once
and my boyfriend wondered
if I ever washed it
I had a perm once
and my sister did too
and my grandmother too
and we went to get it done on Tuesdays
and we listened to Jill Scott play
in the shop until we were blow-dried
And I wore it like Dorothy
and I wore it like Aaliyah
and it was beautiful
and it was Black
But then it hurt my hair
so my hair got cut
the church ladies asked why
my boyfriend didn’t say anything
And then it killed my hair
and my hair fell out
and I was still beautiful
but for awhile I forgot
I had a perm once
and then I cut it off
and my hair is still beautiful
and my hair is not more black
