Spence, (my display name contest)

The origin of 'Spence'

I was eight when my mother sent me there

Arnold Spencely: the blind butcher of children’s hair

Scarcely affordable for those dwelling on my estate

But less expensive than a hair cut at any other rate

The process was simple- just sit very still in the chair

Face the mirror- imagine you’re not really there

But at Pat Lee’s hair salon on the other side of town

Where trendy trims remained as hair fell down

Not a basin cut or world war two revival

Not a travesty that hindered ones survival

It would have been so different, I later would reflect

As I cooled the bleeding cuts upon my neck

If I’d kept my temper and not been excluded from the school

A hundred yards from where old Spencely ruled

All the kids who went there shared the common plight

Of poverty and hair that was a sight

But the fact that I was barred caused my demise

I was sent to school across the other side

Where parents still had opportunities

And children offered social scrutiny.

But that was not the only factor in my startling lack of grace

Worse than being an ‘angel with a very dirty face’

The most unfortunate aspect of all this was, you see

Being born to the surname of ‘Whensley’

‘Whensley- Spencely’, taunts were thrown

(And so were many blows)

Then I got used to it once from a small child grown.

By the time that I was 12, it had shortened kindly, hence

I’m now known by almost all I know as ‘Spence’

 

Author's Note

Not the best poem in the world, I know, but it came to me like this direct from the prompt of a contest.

Reviews

[Katherine Wyatt]

this is great! fu and well done nice free verse!

[Joanna Maharis]

A remarkable piece of writing. I like the nostalgia within this poem. I also like the masterful way you bring out the emotion in this piece, in that you establish an emotional connection with your readers. I felt like I was a part of the narrator's experience. There is so much beautiful imagery throughout this piece, as well.

[ClosingAccount]

Nice!