On Shaving my Legs for the First Time
the offending hairs that sprout from dark skin
like unwelcome ants that toil through the night
hairs that signal virility on my father’s chin
draw taunts from prepubescent boys
immature follicles give rise to wispy protrusions
bound to a world that stamps out darkness with light
chords of the sun smile upon their pale skin
bleaching corn silk to its golden lustre
rays powerful enough to bleed drapes beyond recognition
conspire with melanin to unearth these ghastly fibers
hairs that will never feel the same again once sanded
like the serrated edge of a chipped tooth
sliding the blade on scars stretched across skinned knees
the sting of catching skin and goosebumps
a hairline that once bordered my sanctuary
no longer off limits to their menacing gaze
