Monday, January 24, 2011

red hair


i should be genetically predisposed to be drawn to red hair
because a portion of my genes are drawn from a small pool in
the border country melding england and scotland.

when i went there
i walked up the pennine spine of the middle of england.

it was not like going home.

it was like being somewhere that had long ago said goodbye
and added under its breath "and don't come back".

who knows the story behind that?

nowadays,
when red hair walks into my life i'm drawn to it
and then i usually run the other way.

i loved the colour red when i was a teenager.
my room had a red wall.
crimson red.
the accents were bright red.
i had a copy of chairman mao's little red book.
it all sang for me.

perhaps that's why when the willow tree outside my mother's home caught the setting sun i was captivated.

20 comments:

Friko said...

how sad to be told 'don't come back'.
but at least they tree welcomed you by putting on a spectacular show just for you.


Blogger is being difficult, I couldn't add a header photo to my new template either (or my old template).

ellen abbott said...

I love to see red on other people, just not me.

Jinksy said...

The tree is lovely - but red hair sets me running - too fiery! LOL

Reya Mellicker said...

I was a redhead for thirty years, thanks to modern chemistry. It was fun.

I know what you mean about landscapes being either welcoming or not. I was always uneasy in San Francisco. The land never holds still underfoot; felt like it was trying to knock me off balance all the time.

Jo said...

I used to pity young girls with red hair, until I saw how it turned into a burnished red as they aged. I now LOVE to see red haired people. Did you know that some scientists predict that true redheads will disappear within the next few generations?

I suspect not, but the very thought makes me appreciate the rarity of red hair.

The burnished red hair on your mother's lovely willow tree is absolutely lovely.

aguja said...

Oh, beautiful red-gold willow tree!

Odd perhaps. A portion of my genes are from those Northern parts. A part of my past and I love the hills and heather. I love to return ... but know that I cannot stay for long. I scoop up delights in photographs and memories and leave.

I always, always wanted to have red hair.

So, your words surprised me. Odd to know that in some way, at some time, we may have trodden the same paths.

Lorenzo — Alchemist's Pillow said...

Nice. I, too, had a copy of Mao's little red book. Now I've traded it in for the poetry of a certain redheaded maker of chocolate chip waffles ;)

Pauline said...

Your new header is gorgeous - that blue! I know the feeling of unwelcoming land. It's hard to explain isn't it? It's something you have to feel.

The red in the willow is a sure sign spring is in the wings :)

Linda Sue said...

The red haired beauty in your photo - against that impossibly blue sky made me leap right up out of this uncomfortable computer chair and squeal! What a bright colourful hit!Eye popper!
Moth to flame- I am drawn to red hair, the burn is just part of the attraction...

hope said...

Sigh. I always wanted red hair.

The little boy across the street and his brother both had red hair they'd gotten from their British Mum. Then 2 little girls moved in next door: both redheads. 8 years old I complained that ALL the world had red hair except me. Mom said that wasn't true. We moved a year later...and 2 out of 3 kids next door had red hair. :)

Red hair still makes me nostalgic. Mom says it's the Irish genes...she only has those, no other kind. ;)

steven said...

friko - i'm at home in north yorkshire, derbyshire, dorset and wales. very at home. yes blogger is having issues with header photos right now. no worry. it'll come back. steven

steven said...

ellen - i don't have anything red although i'm thinking about a red rainjacket for the bike. steven

steven said...

jinksy - well i get drawn to it like a moth to the flame but eventually it sends me looking around for an escape. steven

steven said...

reya . . . you - red - yes i can see it. i love to seelong red ringletted hair, a mass of red tossing and turning. but it means something to me . . .i can't put it into words. steven

steven said...

jo see i love seeing little girls with red hair. i think it's amazing - boys or girls - but it also makes me think things about teir personality and then also it triggers something old in me. i sure wish i could put it into writing! steven

steven said...

aguja - it wouldn't surprise me if so much of what is shared in this moment isn't an echo of an earlier meeting. steven

steven said...

lorenzo - life changes!!! steven

steven said...

pauline - when blogger gets the header issue sorted out i'll pop the picture up in full. for now there it is in tiny!!! steven

steven said...

linda sue - the burn is part of the attraction - well you are such an insightful sensitive and clear voiced person. that's it. the burn. steven

steven said...

hope - what are the chances - all that red hair. that's great!!! steven