roig_illustration
Face in the Mirror
by Kerfe Roig

I
had long
beautiful
hair. Straight. Waist-length.
What was I thinking?
I was thinking: Change. New.
Reinvention. I thought: Bold.
Happy. Admiration. Envy.
Compliments and An Exciting Life.
Blame it on Charley’s Angels. Blame it
on Carly, Fashion, Photographs
in Magazines, Vanity…
But wait—didn’t I feel
uncomfortable,
didn’t I know?
That mirror
was not
me.

Illustration by the author, with a nod to Man Ray. 

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: In the 1970s, a graduate of fashion school and working in the fashion industry, I decided I needed a makeover. So I cut the long straight hair that remained from my hippie days and embarked on a series of permanents. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that the hair I was born with suited me best, and it has remained straight ever since.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kerfe Roig enjoys transforming words and images (but no longer her hair) into something new. You can follow her explorations on the blog she does with her friend Nina at methodtwomadness.wordpress.com.

AUTHOR’S PHOTO CAPTION: Taken at work during the 1970s.