hat day

i always liked hat day more than dad's and doughnuts day

bright, colorful, feathery

i always knew where it was - waiting in the top shelf of his closet
i would always ask my mom to grab it because his drawers were too big and i was too small

i remember walking strutting into my classroom
and no matter what anybody said, my hat was the best because
"this is my dad's hat!"

"this is my dad's hat!"

and then i'd come home
with the feathers bobbing up and down
and my face as vibrant as the colorful stripes
and this year better than last year

i remember talking about hat day weeks in advance
"i'll bring my dad's hat! it's the best hat ever!"

but all i remember about dads and doughnuts was his suit
always a suit
and the awkward quiet
and the doughnuts
i liked the doughnuts.

people aren't like hats
because while my father was in san francisco or new york or 'at the office'
his hat was always waiting on the top shelf of his closet

bright, colorful, feathery

i always liked hat day more than dads and doughnuts day