Steady Uplifting

To Those Of My Sisters Who Kept Their Naturals Never To Look A Hot Comb In The Teeth- by Gwendolyn Brooks

Sisters!

I love you.

Because you love you.

Because you are also bent.

In season, stern, kind.

Crisp, soft-in season.

And you withhold.

And you extend.

And you Step out.

And you go back.

And you extend again.

Your eyes, loud-soft, with crying and with smiles,

are older than a million years.

And they are young.

You reach, in season.

You subside, in season.

And ALL

below the richrough righttime of your hair.

You have not bought Blondine.

You have not hailed the hot-comb recently.

You never worshipped Marilyn Monroe.

You say: Farrah’s hair is hers.

You have not wanted to be white.

Nor have you testified to adoration of that state with the advertisement of imitation

(never successful because the hot-comb is laughing too.)

But oh, the rough dark Other music!

the Real,

the Right,

The natural Respect of Self and Seal!

Sisters!

Your hair is Celebration in the world!