Ali the Barber


Ali is a barber,

He has a little shop

He has a cut-throat razor

and he has a leather strop.

He has a stripy barber's pole

And very comfy chairs.

He specialises in "a close shave"

and "cutting gents' hairs"

The shop is very curious:

Inside is dark and dim

and yet you always come away

Sporting a great trim.

Some say Ali's eyes are bad

Some say he is blind

But no-one ever notices that

He always stands behind

Every single customer.

They think it is a joke

That Ali always cuts their hair

In a red-lined long black cloak.

After Ali's close shaves

They always feel quite dizzy -

Ali's hands are such a blur

His fingers are so busy.

The razor always slips a bit

Ali shaves them with such speed;

A little nick just below their ear

Will always start to bleed.

Always on the left side

Around the jugular vein

They never seem to notice

There is never any pain.

And as if from far away

Ali's soothing voice will dance

"Do come back at midnight"

They would be in a trance.

"Would you like some after-shave?

I've got a wide selection"

No-one ever notices that

Ali's got no reflection

You'll notice in the village

In the wee small hours

customers come to Ali's shop

drawn by unseen powers.

If you're ever in Terse Hill

and need a haircut or a shave

Don't go into Ali's shop

If your soul you want to save,

For though Ali is a barber

And he always is polite

He shaves them in the morning

And sucks their blood at night.



©The Poetic Priestess 2002-2003