The Old Hat

Wrinkled, worn, and weather-beaten

one old hat sits aloft a dusty shelf.

A witness to individual history,

a vision of days gone by

of both good and bad times,

a garment of many memories.


Like a King’s crown,

the hat once sat cocked to the right

over a stern, but wise brow.

Well used and sweat stained,

but worn with dignity and pride

by one unyielding individualist.

A common man by all accounts

of uncommon quality and character.

A man who never lost focus

on the true widgets of life

even when it was at a cost.


A man who once owned :

a pocket full of dreams,

a desire for pure freedom,

a true lust for life,

and one old hat.