Curly Hair in Poetry

When researching books on natural hair care, I stumbled across this poem by Harriet Jacobs in one the books I had checked out. I felt it best represents how I felt about my struggle with my hair. I am someone who truly dislikes sitting for long periods of time in the beauty salon, as I really don't understand still why it takes so long. Mostly the problem for me was stylists overbooking, anyhow and add to that the price of beauty equals a very disgruntled chica. I am a low maintenance girl, and I love the fact that if I don't want to style my curls I can just rock a fro. I could go on and on about this but will save it for a later topic.
Here is...

On Extending the Olive Branch to My Own Self

what was i doing anyway
was i crazy did i think 
that by beating it into submission
i would win something
i've witnessed other casualties of war
the eyes of madness 
that wandered through my neighborhood
after nam what made me think
self-inflicted war would be 
more merciful
or that oils and lubricants 
metal combs of fire/chemical assault/all the
forces that modern technology could marshal 
would ever win out over mother nature
& tell me this/what made me think 
that would be a victory 
anyway

a postscript
to my brothers and sisters:

it maters not how we wear it 
but if we begin to wrap ourselves 
just as tightly around each other 
& refuse to let go 
if we rise up mighty like a dark cloud 
& resist all efforts to change nature 
of who we really are
when we learn to stand 
just as unshakable 
in the beauty of our strength
and the strength of our beauty 
then

then...

Harriet Jacobs
If you are interested in more African American poetry or in this poem look in this anthology Spirit & Flame: an anthology of contemporary African American Poetry by Keith Gilyard and Black Hair: Art, Style and Culture edited by Ima Ebong