CHRIS FLECK 

Today’s almost over.

It’s all we can take.

Tomorrow’s the last day,

before Christmas break.
 

Up and down in our seats,

we were starting to bounce,

and that’s when our teacher,

Miss Nelson announced . . .

“Listen up, class,

to all that I say,  

for tomorrow,” she said, 

“will be Silly Hat Day.”

“For our school’s Christmas pageant, 

and the Lighting of Trees,

you may fix up a hat,
any way that you please.

And your family can help you,

if that’s what you wish,

You may fix it up plain,

or be wild and stylish.

The choices are endless

as you all make your hat.”

And I sat and I wondered,

if I could do that!

I started to stress,

and panic, and worry.

The bell rang.  I packed up

and left in a hurry.
 

As I got to my house,

It all became clear,

I would need someone’s help,

and that someone lives here!
 

Since ideas for me 

are always a bother,

I will do this assignment,

with some help from my father.
 

My dad is an artist,

with a shop in the attic.

He is an artistic,
creative fanatic.

He sits in his workshop,

creating away,

drawing and painting, 
and sculpting all day.

I knew when I asked him,

I’d have no resistance.

Dad’s always delighted,

to add some assistance.

My father is helpful,

and has a big heart.

When I asked him, he smiled and said,

“When can we start?”
 

I said, “It’s a contest”,

can we make me the winner?

Mom said we could start,

when we finished our dinner.
 

We quickly ate supper.

Mom fixed us spaghetti.

We had one Christmas cookie,

and then we were ready.

Back to the attic,

we climbed with a snack,

and began to design

our plan of attack.

I couldn’t decide, 

on the theme of my hat.

“It’s Christmas time,” Dad said,

“so let’s go with that.”

I agreed with my father,

with all that he said.

We began to create,

a fun hat for my head.

Though our attic’s the place,

for my father’s creations,

It’s also the home, 

of our tree’s decorations.
 

A plain Santa hat, 

Father said, would be key,

and some bendable branches, 

from our old Christmas tree.
 

We uncovered a box,

wrapped in clear cellophane,

and began to attach,

last year’s old candy canes.
 

Dad laughed to himself and said,

“Sure.  This makes sense!”,

when we stumbled upon,

some unused ornaments.
 

We added white feathers,

and because we had room,

we popped in a poinsettia, 

In front of the plume.
 

I kept handing Dad objects, 

just to dare him to use them. 

As my choices got stranger,

he didn’t refuse them!

When I gave him an item,

I thought he'd not do,

he smiled and applied it,

with a gun and hot glue.
 

A truly odd project,

this head wear eclectic.

With my dad’s eyes ablaze,
he said, “Let’s get electric!”
 

With batteries strapped,
on my now, heavy head,
“It lights up like magic!”
my father then said.
 

When I looked in the mirror,
at our festive invention,
I feared it might gather,
just too much attention.
 

My hat will be largest, 
in all the third grade.
As big as a float, 
in the Christmas parade.

Kindergartners might try, 
to use it for shade.
The hat we both made, 
now makes me AFRAID!

Dad said, “Just wear it.

You've no need to fear it.

Who won’t love a hat, 

with this much Christmas spirit?”
 

This GINORMOUS “Chris-tastrophy”, 
all flashing and blinking,
I asked my dear father,
“Just what were we thinking?”
 

“Tomorrow,” he said,
“if the power goes out,
they’ll have you in your hat,
to help find the way out!”

I knew he was joking,
because he was smiling.
But his tale gave me visions,
of kids single filing . . .
 

and pointing and laughing,
at me in my hat.
Oh, what will I do?
I just can’t have that!
 

As I plotted and planned,
I knew I was in deep.
As my mind became busy, 
I drifted . . . off . . . to . . .

When I woke the next morning,

I started to worry.

I soon brushed my teeth,

And I ate in a hurry.

My mind was still searching,

for just the right way,

to NOT wear my hat,

on Silly Hat Day.

Oh, how to destroy it,

or lose it or hide it?

There’s a simple solution,

so why can’t I find it?

I’ll sit in the bus,

where I know if I wear it, 

where the older kids ride.

Surely someone will tear it.

But then, Dad said, “I’ll drive,
and you won’t have to a fuss”,

So my hat was protected,

from the kids on the bus.

As I entered the building, 
it was just as I feared.  
But one thing unexpected,
they all clapped and cheered.

All the teachers and students,

and the ladies of lunch,

and even the principal,

liked it a bunch.

This hat we created,

that I almost trashed,
had attracted attention,
as it blinked and flashed.
 

At our school Christmas pageant,

when we took a group pic,

They gave me a trophy

for my first place hat trick!

So I stood in the front,
because I was the winner.
To think that last night,

I was just a beginner

I waited that day,

for my dad in his car,

to thank him for helping,

to make me the star.

I told him the story,
of cheering and grinning,
of Christmas pic taking,
and blinking and winning.

The hat we created,

for a day in December,

and that night in the attic,

I will always remember.

The memories of Christmas,

In my heart will stay,
of my father and me,

and Silly Hat Day.