Ode to a Haircut

As I shave my partner’s head

I see thick brown hairs turning golden

I see wisps of white at the corners of his beard

I ask him to look at me straight on

I see the intense eyes and vivid features I’ve loved all along

On his back, a dense bed of freckles from time loved outdoors

Growing across his strong, broadening shoulders

I hold his ear for support as I push the razor around each curve of his skull

I notice where the straight softness of his hair reaches the coarse curl of his sideburns

And I blend them together

My hand sweeps the bristles of his freshly pale scalp

Heavy tufts of soft, dark hair falling to the floor

I’m getting faster at this, less clumsy

Attention paid, haircut as intimacy