Stylist
Carole Bromley

My hairdresser doesn't really get poetry;
he does ask about it but he's into Thai boxing.
We have these weird conversations
while we pretend there's a point
in even talking about a new style.
He tells me about his broken nose,
how the A&E consultant lost patience
when he went straight out and got it broken again
and I tell him about stuff that's alien
like doing readings to ten people
and spending more on a course
than I earn in a year. He's given up
trying to understand why I write
and I've given up trying to understand
the appeal of getting the shit kicked out of you.
I suggest the two activities are not so different;
he suggests a little layering at the sides.

Carole Bromley is a teacher from York. Published by Smith/Doorstop, she has two pamphlets and two collections. This poem is from her most recent book, The Stonegate Devil.