Washing my hair has become a cathartic way to fight oppression. My family in the south have a saying " like a bucket that can't hold water". They say it when someone can't keep a secret, won't shut up, when someone is stupid, or something is useless. My hair use to hold lots of water. It would stay wet for days after I washed it and didn't take a blow dryer to it. My hair would be heavy with water for hours. My grandmother once said it wasn't heavy with water but with history. My hair was full of our mother's life, experiences, struggles, pain, and joy. My hair carried their story, my origins. I recently permed my hair, raped it bare of the history. My hair feels lighter but more oppressive. My hair is like a bucket that can't hold water. It dries in minuets after I wash it. It doesn't even feel the same anymore. But while I am rinsing it. Standing under shower and letting water rush through, my head feels heavy.
No comments:
Post a Comment