Found Poem: Susan, Be One

After Susan, Be Smooth by Nell Giles (1940)

By Susan Powers Bourne (1951 – )

No Smooth Susan has horny hands.

Let us not misunderstand each other.

The secret is to take care as you go along.

Good grooming is continuous, not periodic.

Keep in mind how you look when you walk.

You might still be wearing your hair. Few people

can get away with it. Memorize the way. Learn

by heart what happens to the top. That’s up to you.

The first step is to give it a thought. The trick then

is not to think about it in the middle. This one-ness

is the beginning: then swish everything.  We promise

you nothing, but always do the simple thing anyway.

It’s all part of that one-ness Susan has when she’s, well,

put together. Remember, the color of your eyes is change.