Ode To A Hair Stylist, A Sister, A Friend

It may be said, above all things,
That engineers are cheap.
Give them the option and you will find
At a freebie they will leap.

The wife of such an ambitious sort
Will try to take cuts where she can,
But to "cut" the hair of her inamorato
Might make him look like less of a man.

Try as she might, those scissors are sharp!
And her eyesight? Dismal at best.
With no training and no natural talent...
Well, you can picture the rest.

So when Courtnee, beloved sister she is,
Entered cosmetology school -
Her brother, my husband, closed up his wallet
And laid to rest my hair-cutting tools.

"Oh ho!" quoth he, with a gladsome laugh,
"Free haircuts for life, no doubt!"
And yet I was hesitant to jump on that bandwagon,
Because I don't think handouts are what families should be about.

Sure, the occasional haircut is nice and thoughtful,
But to cut a whole family's head for free?
Now that went against my principles,
Even if she would refuse a fee.

With her studio in Colorado and us in the Southwest
I thought my dilemma moot.
But then, a family reunion was in sight,
And I knew there would be mischief afoot.

Knowing full well that haircuts would take place,
I deigned to participate myself.
But as the fated day drew near,
I realized I was starting to look like an elf.

My hair so flat and ears so large -
There was no way I could make it another week.
I realized the best thing to do was at hand:
For Courtnee's expertise I would seek.

We called her before to humbly beg her services
And with graciousness did she accept.
Still, in the back of my mind was recompense -
How to repay! And oh, how ill I slept.

The reunion came, we played and we laughed
And Casey begged his turn.
The campsite froze, all eyes turned to her,
For from a master we were all about to learn.

Her tools acquired, we looked on in awe
As her apron she deftly tied.
Her scissors she checked, her comb and spray bottle -
To Casey a cape was applied.

With a snip of her wrist and a flash of the comb
Curly hair to the ground did fall.
A handsome face began to emerge
And Courtnee's hands never once did stall.

Finished, the haircut was a textbook case
Of the way attractive males could look
When handed over to a master stylist
Who practically wrote the book.

Gavin, the ever-busy child he is,
Sat and let his haircut take shape.
He must have loved chewing on the combs
And the specially-for-kids small cape.

At length, the men were done and Courtnee offered
To take care of my own hair-cutting needs.
But to partake would, for me, be akin to stealing!
How could I add to her altruistic deeds?

Yet seeing the looks I was getting from the crowd
That screamed a haircut was long overdue,
I decided to swallow my pride and allow
The free application of a trim hair 'do.

With complete and utter trust, I washed my hair
And sat on the cushion provided.
As she began, my gratitude grew
While my trepidation subsided.

"Voila! I did the best that I can,
But really - there's little that can be done
On long hair like yours, with the shape of your face,
You'll just have to look like a nun."

Okay, so Courtnee didn't say that at all,
But in my head I was sure that's what she was thinking.
When she did finish, my hair felt so light and refreshed
That at my reflection I couldn't stop blinking.

The three of us now had haircuts that even
The gods would envy of us.
We were groomed! We were clean! Oh, happy day!
I was ashamed for making such a fuss.

We knew that Courtnee would accept no fee,
No payment and no remuneration.
Yet I knew I had to do something to proclaim
Her deeds and talent to an ignorant nation.

Courtnee, your haircuts are simply amazing!
Your philanthropy is to be admired.
We SO appreciate all you do for us,
Especially when this pregnant body gets so tired.

We want you to know we love and appreciate
All you do for us.
We only hope that in the future
Over YOU we can make a fuss!

THANK YOU!!!