(for Dickie)

Though I have cut your hair
for decades, now, when we
vacation in Victoria, you head

to Sean, the James Bay barber,
for a proper cut—not just of
hair but for a good trim

of the caterpillars over your
eyes, as Sean calls them.
Five years into barbering,

he fell into the gig as his
longtime predecessor looked
toward retirement. Sean now

dons the white barber’s coat
and sits you in one of two
classic chairs in the shop

with 1970s Mad magazines
to leaf through, and historic
photos on the walls.

And when he’s done,
pulling the drape off you
with a flourish, Sean

grins as we all admire
his handiwork—not only
lowering your ears

but shaving off a good
decade or more, you
sharp looking fella, you.

•••

With thanks to Sean Guinane, the fine barber of James Bay, Victoria, BC.