Habit - Rachel Rodgers

At one point, there was so much hair

I remember cradling it in my hands –

a bird nest of tattered, brown strands.

For me, it’s always been there,

never a full thought even.

It was easy. Slide my fingers

through my hair, maybe three times.

Un-work the knots

before my finger wound its way up

almost to my scalp.

And then pull.

At one point, I couldn’t even feel it anymore.

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Rachel Rodgers is a resident of Fayetteville, WV. She is currently a student in the Low-Residency MFA program at West Virginia Wesleyan College, working on her thesis in poetry.