A Helston hair salon that describes itself “a cut above the rest” can now truly boast to have something no other hairdresser in the town has – a poem from the man dubbed “the Banksy of poetry.”

Head Rush in Coinagehall Street is the latest salon to be singled out by poet Mark Jones. His name is becoming increasingly well known in hairdressing circles, for anonymously sending out a happy poem about a robin to salons all over the country.

In the poem it talks about his “best friend the robin” that will sing to “chase your blues away.”

He signs off by writing “Keep your chin up, keep smiling,” followed by “M Jones 2017.”

Head Rush owner Becky Cross said she was a little confused when she received the letter on Thursday, which came by second class post and had a Lancashire postmark.

She told the Packet: “I didn’t recognise it. I was thinking, ‘What’s this? Is this from one of my clients?’”

It wasn’t until one of her colleagues, Lisa Greet, recognised it as the poem that first made the headlines when started receiving them as far back as 2011. They have since been sent as widespread as Norwich to Somerset and Sunderland to Wales, leading to the comparison with Bristol artist Banksy, who for years left anonymous works of street art in the city, raising the profile of each location overnight, until he was allegedly unmasked in 2008 as Robin Gunningham – his first name being a further link to this poem.

Falmouth Packet:

“I’ve no idea who he is or why hairdressers. It’s quite intriguing,” added Becky. “Finding out he does it for hairdressers all over the country, I think it’s quite sweet actually.”

It has led to the question “why us?” however, with Becky wondering whether he had visited while on holiday or whether it is just random who receives them.

“We get a lot of Marks in the door. A couple of days beforehand we had a Mark in.

She also has a theory that the poem might not be intended to be taken literally but instead be a metaphor for friendship.

“I link it to hairdressing in that we make friends with the clients. I think of my clients as almost friends, you get to know people. That’s why it doesn’t feel like a job most of the time, because I’m talking to people I enjoy speaking to,” she explained.

It seems that Cornwall may be the latest target for this random act of kindness however. Only the day before Becky received her copy, a salon in Penzance also opened up the same joyful post.

The poem in full

"My best friend the robin

Sings to me each day

Although I’ve tried to understand I don’t know what he says

Maybe he’s just happy

His song is never blue I know that if you lend an ear

He’ll sing one just for you

He’ll sing to make you happy

To chase your blues away

My best friend the robin Hip hip hip hip hooray."