Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: to tie, bind, or fasten.

Source: Dictionary.com

Found in Hair by Elizabeth Acevedo line 4

“The true meaning of stranded, when/trusses held tight like African cousins in ship bellies,did they/imagine that their great grand-children would look like us, and/would hate them how we do?”

This is a very interesting poem. The speaker uses the word truss to compare taming “bad” hair to the way slaves were tied together in ships. Straightening it or tying it up so that it looks more presentable-white looking in the speakers opinion. This is something i can relate to as I have curly hair and have often been told I have bad hair. The speaker mentions her mother telling her to fix her hair and by fix she meant straighten. Growing up, we considered getting out hair done straightening it as if it couldn’t be ‘done’ or presentable looking in its natural state. Understanding the definition of truss helped me understand the simile quoted above.