I grew my first gray locks at 21:
two silver segments clearly premature.
A bit amused, I deemed I wasn’t done
with dark. I dabbled with a new coiffure
and color: long appointments, I would learn.
Then year by year the leg and pit hair left;
the tints neared red and tones approached auburn;
the pubic hair succumbed to age’s theft.

My once-thick brows got thinner at the tips,
my lashes ever sparser as my chin
developed follicles. Around my lips
rare whiskers grew. I know that age will win,
but even so, I’m flabbergasted now:
I just discarded strands of white eyebrow.