her stress

she used to point
at a spot near her forehead
where she claimed
she was losing hair.
look, look she'd say
pulling back her long dark
mane of irish locks.
the stress is giving me
a bald spot.
look, it's the size
of a quarter now,
last week it was
the size of a dime.
i'm losing my hair.
this makes you laugh
and rub your scalp.
don't worry about it,
you tell her. maybe you
can wear a cap
like I do on cold days
or when the sun
comes out.