My Barber and I Discuss Matters of State

He's been my barber forever
Still younger than me by a longshot
Old enough however to discuss life
It's a one chair shop
Small town in a big city

Covid wiped out half his business
Same with me in my sales job
His lease was up in August
The landlord gave him another year at a discount
My head is safe for 12 more months

We discuss the world in 20 minutes or less
I had to wait yesterday, 2 guys ahead of me
The guy waiting was older than me
He struck up conversation
A New York story, points east and west

The story was good enough to tell my wife
Barber shops dot the planet
Not a hair stylist, no groovy music or fancy feels
A place to make me look human again
He's a good dude, we talk, sometimes laugh