Blue Magic Hair Grease

Blue Magic Hair Grease
It is the scent of spring and summer memories
on the play ground
playing kickball in the outfield
waiting
on that red rubber ball to drop into my arms
so I could be the hero that recess
Distracted by the sizzle on my scalp
the smell of that blue magic hair grease
conditioning my hair
popping
the rubber bands twisted 'round my ponytails
i liked to wear eight
now seven
because the sun had heated that blue magic hair grease
and popped the band
that snugly held
braid number eight
the one in the middle
in place
who cares about kickball?
i need a teacher to fix this!
I don't want my mom mad at me
I grab my loose braid
forsaking my position in the outfield and the game
i run to the fence where the teachers congregated
to talk about what they'd seen on C-SPAN
Then the war was Desert Storm
If only we could go back to the time of Blue Magic
Back when we knew how to end a war
I pull one of their skirts
I ask for a rubber band
I am told to wait until recess is over
'till we go inside
where all the kids fuss
about who is first in line
cuz you wanted the best water
from the "coldest" fountain
It was the one around the corner
a few steps up the hall
i sit out the rest of the game of kickball
cuz i cant stand having one braid out of place
my hand is sweaty
i can feel that blue magic
thick blue magic hair grease
dripping into my ear
slowly melting like a vanilla cone
my bottom is sweaty
from sitting on the blacktop
my back is sweaty
from leaning against the chain link fence
all the kids are having fun
all of them accept for me
i wore my fast sneakers today
the kind with the lights
the kind that make me kick the ball far
i hate blue magic
i hate its smell
i hate how it always breaks my rubber bands
my head is like a skillet
and blue magic is like lard
the heat of the sun
always broke them bands
I always was in trouble
for messing up my hair
now im mad at my mom
for not using
the ponytail holder with the decorative bows
with the elastic bands
that wont pop in the sun...
Blue Magic Hair Grease
product of choice
for every black girl without a perm