WATCHING MY FATHER SHAVE
In the doorway of the dim hallway
I stood and watched you pose
Before the cracked mirror in the
Yellow light of the only bathroom
Watched you assemble the three-
Piece razor, swirl the frayed brush in the
Soap mug until its foam was
Spread across your seamed face
Winced as you drew the sharp
Blade across the stiff gray
Bristles spouting on your cheek,
Spread by fingers to ease the razor’s passage
Heard you call for Mama to
Shave the places you could not reach
Even though her careless swipes raised
Speckles of red down the nape of
your neck
How proud I was when deputized to
Take her place. How carefully
I stroked to build your trust and
Spare us both the pain of wayward thrusts
Only later did I learn you
Viewed shaving as a test
That Life was a series of threats and
Existence hung by a fragile thread
Gerald Harris
December 25, 2012
