HAIR

Dear Miss_____________,

Please allow me this polite compliment.

Since the days that Bo Derek's running threw her corn rowed braids, that brought a slow motion harvest of music from their beaded ends. The clicks that mark a change in the rate that men rate women was brought to each ear.

She was called a Ten!

From my humble perspective, I would say that number represents you as well, as if a Ten was the Acme that you could achieve.

But today the weight of your beauty was revealed.

That weight being so great it broke the scale.

I'd call you a Twenty!

Humphrey Bogart named his boat the African Queen.

However many men here would call your luxury liner the African American Empress.

Katherine Hepburned up the screen for Bogey.

You more than torpedo German warships, you tear apart our hearts with scenes we've edited from our lives with bad choices.

I'd call us all ones.

Whoever your man is, let him know he's blessed.

Your mane of unruly hair should warn him not to try and rule over you.

Don't confine it, let it run wild, born free.

A Nubian lioness of the highest order.

If I could turn back the clock, I'd ask for One that's a Twenty, much like you.

Who knows, maybe if Bo had a Fro, they'd call her a Twenty too.