Ellen Bass Has Great Hair

And I aspire to that, a cap
of milk-colored curls close
on the skull, a bit flaring out
at the back like a giggle.
Each wreath of strands lies
exactly right. I wouldn’t edit
a single one. I’d like to fill
workshops too, or at least
my living room with friends
smart and funny as hers.
I’d like to keep the same
friends, the same living room,
the same hair though I’m sure
she’s had to cut it and grow it back,
cut it and grow it back,
a steadiness under scissors
I haven’t learned to wear yet.