Shorn child

He cut my hair off

Lock by lock,

Hair Mother brushed for me

near our blazing fire.

and tied my hair back

as a pony tail

stretching my eyebrows

Slanting outwards.

He cut my hair off

Lock by lock,

Hair that Aunt Cecil

Would not brush while

She had me in her home.

Mother absent banished me there

Tell her ,no.

Father, sister didn’t you care?

He cut my hair off

Lock by lock

fleeing to the garden

I sobbed and sobbed

Hiding my grief

from prying eyes

In the cradle

of my home no more.

He cut my hair off

Lock by lock

Following me he sighed,

Why? You are crying.

I wish I had not cut it now.

I looked up through my tears

Too late I thought

Hiding my words in my head.