M.

I

yank out the sweet young girl i foil
large blue eyes that hold so many feelings thoughts ideas dreams

and when she talks about him, him who lives nearby
him who loves the redskins
her eyes giggle
if they had a noise, it'd be this.

she is accustomed to a language without noise
an empty apartment
cats
the civic theater with fingers moving rapidly to keep up and people read
her hands
fighting Grand Valley single handed to continue a program she believes in without sharing exactly how she thinks and feels but I think she must think them deaf

she has become a friend, I feel I know her
past the dark red Redken lolites that used to be brown and golden not white hilites and the toner that sets it and new found layers after a year of blunt cuts

today i curled your hair and hugged you as you left and I could tell
you felt pretty
and our interaction
had brought you joy

"i like hair day" you exclaimed at the shampoo bowl
and it made my eyes giggle.