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Yesterday, right after washing my hair, and applying a blowdryer...

After more than a year passed since I paid $35.00, when yours truly donated close to twelve inches of near shoulder length hair, and liberation (theology) immediately experienced, when fetish temporarily shorn (for the umpteenth time since donning so called hippie phase), which persisted more or less to the present day) after most recent decision to surrender not quite golden locks willfully encountered (Billy me) snapping shears hungrily eyed field day, and when lathering up shorter doo necessitated less shampoo, and also took mere minutes to dry shaking my head in a jiffy, which by the way entails three shakes of a dead lamb's tail according to Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 1890–1965) an English comic actor, writer, and director, best known as the "Stan" half of the legendary comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.

I espied a fumfering androgynous
reflection in the mirror,
especially as these lovely
not quite golden locks - no liar
here, but a baby boomer sporting tresses
despite being mistaken for a girl,
what with slender body,
that long since went to pot
cue a noticeable paunch definitely visible,
when taking a shower
whereat I wanna close my eyes
displacing where six pack used to be,
and whose said trademark mane characteristic
grew out of protestation
when I strongly evinced reaction
against parent's stern rebuke
to yield and get a buzzcut
admonition against getting clipped
to elicit conservative impression
versus putting up a fight,
which (after dad and mom grudgingly relented)
unbeknownst to them,
that years later
physical appearance of mine
would be a major deterrent
particularly against acquiring
and to a lesser degree
maintaining gainful employment)
resulted guarding image of nonconformity
exemplified courtesy longish
wavy brown shoulder length hair
(interspersed with gray strands),
a grateful dead giveaway,
when friends, Romans, and countrymen
made reference to yours truly
as the quiet and meek as a mouse guy
since figurative segway
and eventual emotional foray
into a tragi-comic opera,
(especially omnipresent when he pledged troth
and fathered – in sync with the mother
of their deux daughters),
but lemme back track to post adolescence,
whence writer of these words evolved
only recently emerging out of adulthood
mainly on account viz lovely bones,
whose frontal/ dorsal view
still presents feminine physique,
(albeit one decked out like a doyenne),
yet never throughout mein kampf
of sixty six years did
yours truly experience
gender dysphoria, although
heading and shouldering
long torrential surge
of testosterone analogous
to raging bit torrent,
where masturbation a poor substitute
less apt to appease sexual desire,
which present day libido
took kamikaze nose dive
but once upon a time
surging hormonal secretion
considerably less apropos of a eunuch,
(which describes current state
of horniness coursing
thru body electric of mine to date),
especially since taking
ten prescription medications
for social general anxiety,
dysthymia, obsessive/compulsive behavior,
and palmar hyperhidrosis
latent while in utero unbeknownst to thy
late mother, when she happened
to be gravid with offspring
number two and sole male progeny
approximately eight hundred
plus eleven months ago,
which bouncing baby
boy, whose innocent naiveté
engendered scapegoat role,
which reputation as being
submissive and weak landed
him smack dab in the crosshairs
of bullies who targeted
said lad with verbal
brickbats and threatening nonverbal
fisticuffs, whereby onslaught
of unpleasant pugnacious
taunts found introverted,
docile diminutive sized passive-
aggressive signals, whose body language
analogous to an impotent telegram,
nevertheless spoke silent volumes against madd
(Mixed Anxiety-Depressive Disorder)
riddled youngster of pun hushing jokester -
namely the writer of these words,
who ofttimes recounted
an academically, emotionally
and socially troubled youth
just getting promoted
by the skin of my teeth hence false
teeth issued initially
courtesy University of Pennsylvania
Dental School and second set
made more recently courtesy Liberty
Dental address: 300 Schuylkill Road,
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania 19460,
yet dental implants NOT an option
available because periodontal disease
wrought extensive bone loss
when fresh out
of my late teens and early twenties
quickly progressing in severity
possibly linkedin to maxillofacial trauma
induced courtesy associated
undergoing orthodontics twice
(compounded by maxillary osteotomy,
a surgical procedure that
involves cutting and
repositioning the upper jaw (maxilla)
to correct alignment issues
with teeth and face disallowing
the option (later in life)
for dental implants, which private
insurance, nor rich Uncle Sam
would pay for leaving me
with the sole remaining option
to get fitted for snug as a
bug in a rug dentures,
whereat the lower set wiggle and
wobble due to the presence
of significant bone loss,
hence sometimes girl scouts honor,
I nearly swallow them after the tenuous bond
courtesy dental adhesive agent loosened
when eating gooey, chewy foods
making dentures going cock eye Louie.

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Is the internal logic consistent?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: PA, USA

Favorite Poets: Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, Matthew Scott Harris, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Sylvia Plath, Gary Snyder, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman

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Comments

neopoet

neopoet

5 months 3 weeks ago

Neopoet AI [2025-04]

The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet’s AI:

This poem is a dense and sprawling narrative that intertwines personal history, physical transformation, and emotional complexity. The stream-of-consciousness style creates an immersive experience, but it also challenges the reader’s ability to follow the thread of the speaker’s journey. Here are some points to consider for revision and refinement:

1. **Structure and Pacing**: The poem’s length and lack of stanza breaks or punctuation create a breathless flow that can overwhelm readers. Introducing deliberate line breaks, stanzas, or punctuation could help clarify shifts in time, tone, and subject matter, making the narrative more accessible without losing its intensity.

2. **Clarity and Focus**: The poem covers many themes—hair as a symbol of identity and rebellion, bodily changes, mental health struggles, family dynamics, and medical history. While this breadth adds depth, focusing on a few key images or moments might strengthen the emotional impact. For example, the act of cutting hair as liberation could be a central motif around which other elements orbit.

3. **Imagery and Metaphor**: Some images are vivid and original (e.g., “three shakes of a dead lamb’s tail,” “body language analogous to an impotent telegram”), but others become tangled in lengthy explanations or parenthetical asides. Consider trimming or integrating these more seamlessly to maintain poetic momentum.

4. **Tone and Voice**: The voice is conversational and candid, which lends authenticity. However, the frequent shifts between formal language, technical medical terms, and colloquial expressions can disrupt the tone. Balancing these registers carefully will help maintain coherence and emotional resonance.

5. **Thematic Cohesion**: The poem touches on identity, aging, gender perception, and physical vulnerability. Highlighting the connections between these themes—perhaps through recurring symbols or refrains—could unify the piece and deepen its exploration of selfhood.

6. **Use of References**: The inclusion of Stan Laurel’s tail-shaking superstition and the detailed medical background adds specificity but may distract from the poem’s emotional core. Evaluate whether these details serve the poem’s larger purpose or if they could be condensed or alluded to more subtly.

Overall, the poem offers a raw and multifaceted portrait of the speaker’s lived experience. Refining its form and focus will enhance its clarity and emotional power, inviting readers to engage more fully with the complex narrative presented.

Please send feedback about Neo (our AI critique system) to neopoet.com/contact