Archive of New Mexico Poetry – Laura Tohe

Woolworths

Went to Woolworths
down at the corner of Fourth and Central downtown lots of skins hang out there
they call it the Indian Center
the bus stops out in front

Billie and I roamed among
record albums, make-up, hair spray
sprayed out hair platinum blonde
thought we’d get away from straight black hair

you know, the Joe-Babe look

a clerk heard the hissing can and
ordered us to put it back or buy it
she watched with eagle eyes

we ducked out of there
and fled on the first bus back to the Indian School

About the Poet
This poem is from Laura Tohe’s first book, No Parole Today (West End Press, 1999). A Diné (Navajo) writer, she was raised on the reservation in Arizona and New Mexico.