Let Down Your Hair
On the streets of Lost Angels
In the red riders hood
There lived a woman that was pure from her mane to her blood
Her hair was not silk nor blonde nor cascading
It was the kinky coarse curls that were tamed by braiding
It ran the length of 10 Impalas at least
But she kept it locked in interlacing strands up high on her head instead of past her feet
Her and her hair were one in the same
One bridled by a tower the other contained by those braids
She was ashamed of her curls
She tried blowouts and straight perms
She tried irons and relaxers
But her curls would not pass her
Her hair had a quality sent from the heavens
It would grow curly and never be threatened
She would sit on her knees and pray to be released
But her texture would keep
Those with hair that had no twist would try to pull and clutch
She thought of getting a sign that said "PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH"
This poor fair woman entangled in ringlets and coils
Was spiraling down into her own foil
Some days her head would throb from the tight hair roped atop her dome
And she would cry in her tower because she felt so alone
Then a day came where she heard a soulful song outside the tower
It sounded of a woman, of a queen, of power
She walked her mahogany legs to the ebony window
She peered out the glass ever so slow
And she saw a sight singing, only made for God’s eyes
She saw a sight that would make a sinner cry
The sight had coffee skin
Harmonies spilling out from ample lips
Without a care
And gargantuan hair
It was picked out and tricked out
And orb of hair
It made her want to flip out
She could not help but stare
“Hello down there! Miss with the hair and the lips,
Can you tell me how you walk around like this?”
The sight answered
“I do it with my heart and my hips
I hit the block with all I got and I never miss
I took out my weave and I let my soul breathe
And now I feel the world in my hands and my self hate under my feet
And you should do it too
Soul sister release your hair!
That tower ain’t stopping you
You are the one keeping you up there.”
With that she winked, blew a kiss, and strutted on
She made our soul sista realize what she should have known all along
So she untied those braids until they were a river of waves
She granted her locks love that others never gave
Threw her hair out of the window giving it to the wind
She was still inside the tower but this is where her freedom began
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