“Chair turns and in the double mirror waver
The old man cranks me down and cracks a chuckle”
-- Gary Snyder, “Bubbs Creek Haircut”

4/12/05 First flattop haircut, yet another time

          The zen of flattops: what is
          The sound of your hair hitting the floor

4/26/05 A conversation with the barber

          Jim the customer: A high and tight flattop at my last barber’s meant

          the hair was clipped as short as possible on the sides and back up to

          the point where the top begins. I’d like to look like that.

          Jim the barber: I used to do seven or eight flattops a day. And they

          are hard! It seemed that everyone in town had a flattop. I never

          thought they’d come back in style. Don’t go tell all your buddies

          where you got it.

          Jim the customer: I don’t have any buddies.

5/10/05 Staring

          Staring intently at just one thing
          Across the room at eye level
          A shelf bracket or a pattern in the wallpaper
          Sitting up straight, very still
          Both soles flat against the chair’s footrest
          Both palms flat on the arms of the chair
          Head held high and level
          So the haircut might be perfectly flat