Thursday, November 29, 2018

Sweet and Sour Sauce Shampoo



"I need to take a shower

before doing anything else,"

I inform my mother as she unlocks

the door to our tiny, temporary

studio apartment of a home.


"That's what you teenagers get

for trying to wash your hair

with Chinese food," she laughed.


As I slipped into the bathroom

and out of my clothes I answered,

"That's not how it happened!"

I tried to brush my hair clumped together

with sweat and sweet and sour sauce

from last night's left over dinner on the road.


The brush couldn't get through

the mess so I let the water

have its way with my brunette locks

until finally the suds and conditioner

were able to work it out for me.


As the soap made its way

down my porcelain skin I ponder

why teenagers have to be so bold


and what I've gotten myself into

this time. When the sound of bottles

crashing from the shelf pulls me

from my thoughts I turn the water off

and pull on my Joe Boxer shorts and

the XXL T-shirt swallows my frail frame;

she asks if I still smell like fried rice.


"I hope not," I giggle and crawl into bed,

when we turn off the light the room

is filled with two words said by both of us

in unison and dreams of being a

 mother myself someday fill my head.


~ ~ ~


Good night.

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