The holidays are always

An excellent time to clean up

New clothes, new look, new haircut

Since 1973 have been going to Two Lane Barber

Actually Two Lane is now on a four lane street

Of course early on was taking little ones

Who rarely liked the experience

The memory of which brought back

Visions of my Mother of seven

Marching her three boys to the neighborhood shop

Don’t know why she didn’t just use a bowl

Worked for a number of my friends

Always specific instructions were given

Cut above the ears and eyes

None of us really cared

Till about fifth or sixth grade

Believe that coincided with puberty

Along with the discovery of Brylcreem

The perfect antidote to wayward hair

My memory of girls began about the same age

It was kinda a good formula

Shower, brush teeth and Brycreem

We might not be the perfect choice

At least we were clean and you could see our faces

So yesterday was Easter Saturday and you guessed it

My seemingly life long friend

Set expectations

For my appearance

Would even drop me off at

Two Lane on the four lane street

Simple enough, correct?

Got out of the car

Of course had to be given the money

For the haircut

There we were standing outside the shop

50 degrees and drizzling

Nonetheless knew we had an audience

As my instructions were being given

She might as well have walked in with me

And handed the barber instructions

But no after years I was worthy

Of receiving the instructions of the

Barber gallery on a Saturday morning

In full view

As if the instructions were not followed

I would be brought back to have it done right

‘Take your hearing aids out, make sure they get the hairs out of your ears

Your eyebrows and you know your nose

I’m quite sure the coffee drinking group inside

Could read lips and were giggling already

Would have been dauntingly embarrassing

Except they now cut the grandchildren’s hair too

Actually I believe we should have our pictures on the wall

FXC

4/20/19

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