True blonde

I overheard
a worker
at McDonald's

explaining
to a friend
that she had no problem
getting ready
for work
or knowing
when she had done enough
fussing

I wash my hair
make myself presentable
she said

short sleeves
are OK
or sometimes I wear long
not out
of modesty
but
to cover
the obligatory fry burns

that are
the mark
of lax workplace
health and safety
and a badge
of honour
for trusting teens
eager
to shake
the fat
from the sugar crisped chips
and salt away
to make the magic
of salt and sweet and fat
that makes children pliant
and widows fat

and there is
the baseball cap
we wear backwards
pony tail
a perfect clasp

and any sort
of black
will do
for slacks
as long
as they are not
stretch pants
or give too much
prominence
to lululemon
cross promotion is OK
but not without an agreement
and a deal
on the residuals

and about shaving
there really is no need
I'm blonde
you see
she said
it's not that we don't have hair
but it's silk
hardly husk

and prettier than peach

any more questions
she asked
as her friend
struggled
with what to wax
what to shave
what to bleach
and what to tweeze.