Spiritual Hair

Blessed are You,
Lord our God,
King of the Universe,
for hair—
a rainbow of textures,
a wisp or a thicket,
growing on heads
and peeking from armpits
and ears and noses.

Blessed are You for hair,
proof that You make stuff for fun—
red, brown, black, blonde, white,
ideal for play—
ponytail it, spike it, color it, braid it,
grow it, dreadlock it, cut it, gel it,
clip it, curl it, shave it, twirl it.

Blessed are You
for hair that needs care—
these strands on my head must be tended,
a combination of work and play,
same as the strands of my spirit,
woven for beauty,
made to be silly and serious,
often in need of untangling,
but beautiful in the wild,
salty-beach-air-jumbled moments.