Funny Looking Hat

I saw it sitting on a shelf

A knitted cap of yellow wool

I put it right upon my head

And gave the floppy brim a pull

You do not have to be so serious

Look in the mirror, take a look

It makes me look like someone else

Right from a children's storybook

I wear it down the grocery lane

The cashier gives a happy nod

It keeps my ears so soft and warm

Even if people think it is odd

You do not have to be so serious

It sways around with every stride

A silly hat upon your head

Will wash away your stuffy pride

Why wear the gray when yellow exists

To bright the sidewalk in the afternoon

I pull it down over my ears

And whistle out a tiny tune

You do not have to be so serious

It flops along as I step by

It turns a dull and flat today

Into a sunny piece of sky

I hang the hat up on the hook

Beside the door frame in the hall

It made me smile five different times

And that was worth it after all

The afternoon is stuck in place

A quiet room, a sleepy face

I pull the yellow kettle out

And watch the steam leak from the spout

We are turning this day around

The water makes a bubbling sound

A drop of honey in a mug

Give your sleepy mind a hug

The kitchen clock ticks off the beat

I wiggle toes inside my socks

I tap my foot against the floor

And leave my worries at the door

We are turning this day around

The tea is hot, the sugar found

A simple cup to change the mood

A little quiet, feeling good

No need to rush or run away

It takes two minutes for the brew

Just sip it slow and watch the fog

A silly song to comfort you

We are turning this day around

The clouds outside are sinking down

The afternoon gets warm and light

And everything is doing right

The kettle rests back on the stove

I take my cup into the hall

A little heat is all it took

To make a good day out of all

The hallway mirror looks at me

I throw my bright blue jacket on

The floorboards squeak beneath my shoes

And all the heavy thoughts are gone

It is easy to change your mind

Just zip it up and leave the hall

Take left or right at every street

And do not worry where you fall

I pass a baker smelling sweet

I wave to cats behind a glass

The pavement feels so light today

I count the bicycles that pass

It is easy to change your mind

The wind is blowing in your hair

A pair of pockets deep and wide

And fresh air waiting everywhere

Who cares if we have got no map

We turn a corner just because

A step or two is all you need

To break the spell of what it was

It is easy to change your mind

The sidewalk leads to somewhere new

Your heavy shoes are light as feathers

Sky above is shiny blue

I turn back home with sandy shoes

My jacket pocket filled with air

The little walk was all I wished

And now I am standing right back there

The afternoon is moving slow

I sit down on the wooden bench

My coat is buttoned up against

A little wind that makes me flinch

There is no need to hurry now

The green bus rolls along the lane

I kick a tiny yellow leaf

And watch it flutter down the drain

I count the red cars driving past

I hum a tune I used to know

The bench is cold beneath my knees

My shadow stretches out below

There is no need to hurry now

I watch the clouds roll overhead

I take a slow deep quiet breath

And smile at what the signpost said

It feels so good to just sit still

Before the doors swing open wide

A minute extra in the sun

With nothing pushing me inside

There is no need to hurry now

The wheels come rolling to the curb

I stand up easy, step aboard

Without a single word disturbed

I take my seat beside the glass

The bus starts moving down the line

I saved three minutes for myself

And everything is feeling fine

I bought a pretzel at the stand

It came inside a paper bag

I sat down on a dusty ledge

And wiped the napkin with a rag

A little treat will set you free

This pretzel has a crunch so loud

It leaves some salt upon my thumb

And makes me feel so silly proud

I chew it slow and take my time

It tastes like salt and toasted dough

It fixes up a boring hour

Much better than you ever know

A little treat will set you free

Forget the work that sits in stacks

A salty bite upon the tongue

Is just the thing a Tuesday lacks

You do not need a three-course meal

To bring a smile back to your face

Just butter, flour, and a pinch

Can brighten up a dreary place

A little treat will set you free

The paper bag is empty now

I brush the salt off of my knees

And take a funny little bow

My fingers salty, stomach full

I walk back up the sunny street

A simple twist of baked dough

Has made my quiet afternoon complete

The dishes stack up by the plate

I squirt the green soap in the tray

The radio is playing loud

To chase the heavy gloom away

We can dance the quiet away

I wiggle hips beside the drain

With soapy bubbles on my hands

And soapy suds upon the pane

I rinse a glass and dry a fork

I shake my hips from left to right

The water splashes on my apron

Making gray turn into light

We can dance the quiet away

I spin around and drop a spoon

It hits the tile with a clang

A very goofy little tune

Nobody sees the show I put on

Just me and dish soap on the floor

It feels so great to be so foolish

Behind a locked apartment door

We can dance the quiet away

The slippery bubbles start to pop

I wipe the counter nice and dry

And bring my sliding to a stop

The sink is clean, the dishes dry

I towel off my dripping hands

I sang real loud and danced real bad

Exactly like my heart demands

The phone screen glows upon the desk

I scroll through names I used to know

I press the call and wait three rings

And hear your voice say hello

A friendly voice will cure the day

We talk about a dog we met

We laugh until our bellies ache

At things we never will forget

You tell me what you had for lunch

I tell you that my sock is torn

We make up words for zero reason

Until a silly joke is born

A friendly voice will cure the day

Ten minutes passing in a flash

No heavy news, no crazy drama

Just chatter in a playful dash

It takes so little effort now

To ring a friend across the town

To hear a familiar chuckle ring

And turn the boring upside down

A friendly voice will cure the day

I lean back easy in my chair

It feels like sitting on the porch

With you right beside me there

We say goodbye and set it down

The room is quiet, soft and bright

I needed just to hear you laugh

To make the whole afternoon right

I reach into my jacket seam

And feel some metal round and cold

Three silver quarters, two bright dimes

A little treasure trove of gold

Small things are worth a lot

They clink together as I stride

A pocket full of tiny weight

To keep me moving with delight

I buy a gumball from the sphere

It rolls down red into my hand

I chew the sweet and blow a bubble

While looking out across the land

Small things are worth a lot

The shiny quarters make a chime

A happy jingle in my coat

That marks a very lazy time

We think we need a million dollars

To buy a second of good cheer

But silver coins inside a coat

Can bring the smile right over here

Small things are worth a lot

I shake my hip and hear the beat

The little music follows me

All the way down the sunny street

One dime is left inside my palm

I slide it back where it belongs

A pocket full of silver sound

To keep me writing silly songs

I lace my orange sneakers tight

And step right out into the hall

I put my left foot down the first

And watch the shadows hit the wall

Start off with a happy step

It breaks the boredom in a blink

The bright orange laces tied up neat

Are much more fun than you would think

I hop across a puddle rim

I tip my toes along the curb

I move like no one is around

Without a single thought disturbed

Start off with a happy step

The rubber soles tap on the stone

A simple walk turns to a dance

When you are out there all alone

It takes one little step to change

The way the hour rolls along

Just tie your shoes and open doors

And hum a quiet rhythmic song

Start off with a happy step

The pavement rolls beneath my feet

My bright orange shoes go left and right

Along the quiet residential street

I stop right at the corner post

My sneakers shining bright and new

I put my left foot down again

And feel the sunshine shining through

The blinds cast stripes across the rug

A warm yellow patch upon the floor

I drop right down upon my knees

And do not want for any more

The sun is sitting right with you

It warms my toes and warms my knees

I stretch out long like a lazy cat

And feel as easy as you please

Dust motes float inside the beam

Like little stars that turn around

I lie real flat and close my eyes

And listen to the city sound

The sun is sitting right with you

It moves an inch every ten minutes

A square of light upon the carpet

With simple quiet comfort in it

You do not need to build a fire

When afternoon brings in the light

Just sit right in the yellow square

And everything will feel alright

The sun is sitting right with you

I roll right over on my back

A simple dose of afternoon

Is all my sleepy mind did lack

The light fades slowly to the wall

I sit up tall and stretch my arms

The square of sun was all I needed

To wrap me up in quiet charms

I walk into the corner store

And look inside the chilly glass

I skip the plain old plastic bottles

And let the common options pass

Treat yourself to something sweet

I pick the glass with bubbles bright

It pops real loud beneath the cap

And turns a dull day into light

It tastes like cherries and like cream

It fizzes right up to my nose

I sip it through a paper straw

And wiggle around on my toes

Treat yourself to something sweet

It costs a dollar extra today

But every sip of fizzy drink

Can drive the heavy thoughts away

Sometimes a small indulgence is

The very cure you go looking for

A glass cold bottle in your hand

As you walk out the corner door

Treat yourself to something sweet

The bubbles tickle on my tongue

I walk back home real easy now

Feeling playful, light, and young

I toss the crown cap in the bin

And finish off the very last drop

A fancy soda in the afternoon

Has brought my dull mood to a stop

The air inside is feeling stale

I push the heavy wooden frame

It creaks a bit then slides right up

And nothing stays the very same

Let the fresh air in the room

The breeze comes rushing through the screen

It rustles up the paper stack

And makes the quiet room feel clean

I smell the grass outside the gate

I hear a robin sing a note

I stand right by the wooden ledge

And unbutton my heavy coat

Let the fresh air in the room

It blows the curtains long and wide

It brings the world right to your face

And leaves the sleepy thoughts outside

Just lift the glass and let it blow

No need to travel miles away

A simple gust of outdoor air

Can fix a flat and boring day

Let the fresh air in the room

It cools my cheeks and clears my head

I take a deep breath standing there

And smile at what the breeze just said

I leave the window open wide

And sit back down upon my chair

The room is full of outdoor sound

And fresh cool wind is everywhere

I take my book and walk outside

And sit down on the red brick stair

The stone is warm beneath my legs

And sunshine lingers in my hair

Sit a moment on the step

And watch the neighborhood go by

A neighbor walking with his dog

A jet trail high up in the sky

An ant climbs up a crack of mortar

Carrying a tiny crumb

I cheer him on with quiet words

And tap along with my right thumb

Sit a moment on the step

The afternoon is warm and slow

There is no place you have to run

And nowhere that you have to go

The porch is like a front-row seat

To nothing much and everything

Just sit right down and take a rest

And hear the neighbor's wind chime ring

Sit a moment on the step

I close my book upon my lap

The sun is warm, the air is still

It feels just like a quiet nap

I stand up slow and stretch my back

And head back through the open door

A ten-minute rest upon the brick

Was just what I was looking for

I pick the little speaker up

And click the blue button to start

A bouncy bassline fills the room

And lifts the weight right off my heart

Play the music nice and loud

It shakes the dust off of the rug

It turns a dull and flat afternoon

Into a giant rhythmic hug

I snap my fingers to the beat

I bang a wooden spoon on pan

I sing along out off the key

As fast and crazy as I can

Play the music nice and loud

The drum beat knocks against the door

I slide around in cotton socks

Across the slippery kitchen floor

Who cares if neighbors hear a sound

It is three o'clock in the afternoon

We need some rhythm in our toes

To go along with this fun tune

Play the music nice and loud

It makes the window frames vibrate

A little noisy happy sound

To make a boring Tuesday great

The track ends with a final beat

I stand there smiling, out of breath

Turning the volume way up high

Has cured my boredom near to death

The sidewalk lines are marked in gray

I look down at my bouncing feet

I skip once, twice, across the crack

And head on down the empty street

Take a jump across the line

Who says that grown-ups have to walk

I bounce along with silly steps

And do not care if people talk

I clear a twig with one big leap

I land right on a square of stone

It makes me feel so light and fast

Although I am walking all alone

Take a jump across the line

It wakes your sleepy legs right up

It feels just like a second drink

From a hot and sugary cup

Walking normally is fine

But skipping gets you there with joy

It turns a plain old sidewalk path

Into a big and playground toy

Take a jump across the line

I reach the lamp post near the end

My heart is beating light and fast

Just like I bumped into a friend

I slow my pace back to a walk

And touch the metal of the post

A silly skip along the street

Is what my spirits needed most

I opened up an old desk drawer

And found a shiny foil star

I peeled it off the yellow paper

And wondered where my feelings are

Good luck is hiding in plain sight

I stick the star upon my thumb

It gleams real bright beneath the lamp

And makes my quiet heart succumb

I put it on my phone case back

So everywhere I go it shines

A little prize for doing nothing

Across the dull and flat designs

Good luck is hiding in plain sight

It turns a drawer of dusty junk

Into a treasure chest of fun

And pulls me right out of my funk

You do not need a gold medal

To feel like you have won the day

A shiny sticker on your phone

Can chase the boring gloom away

Good luck is hiding in plain sight

It catches light from every angle

A tiny spark of gold and silver

To make my silly thoughts untangle

I tap the star against my hand

And smile into the quiet room

A tiny sticker found by chance

Has swept away the afternoon gloom