Dad's Old Hat Poem by Ted Middleton

The boots were left on the back porch,
But that hat always came inside
Mum often made the joke 'the hat,
Would accompany dad when he died'
I knew my dad was at home anytime,
When that hat was on the freezer
And mum seemed happiest having dad home,
As it always seemed to please her

I cant remember my dear old dad,
Not without his head held high
And perched on top, his 'soul mate' hat,
Remembering makes me cry
For dad it seemed had two great loves,
'Your mum from the day I saw her'
But push to shove and in moments weak,
He'd fondle that fedora.

Sometimes we'd walk the paddocks
And the sun would beat us sorta'
Dad would doff his trusty hat
Just to scoop us all some water
And driving cattle what a 'crack',
In the air it was always waved
That trusty hat would catch cows eyes
And endless time was saved

That hat could carry fifty eggs,
Draw Melbourne Cup day sweeps
It was passed around for collections
And drew chook raffles - heaps
And mum on many occasions felt
The cooling breeze it gave her
When beneath the burning midday sun,
Came dad and hat, to save her

It doubled as a heatwave shade,
An umbrella, when it was raining
It watered horses, drove off insects,
Held ties for wire straining
It covered food, and hid our presents
To make sure our surprise
That hat was very much like dad
Cause it seemed a mighty size

I came home late one day from school,
Saw the hat, but mum was weeping
My dad had had an accident down,
Where the dam mud wall was seeping
He'd gone across but the wall gave way,
He was buried deep in the land
When they dug him out his soul was gone,
But that hat was in his hand.

I remember standing at his grave,
With the priests words ringing clear
My mum was weeping still unchecked
And our family standing near
They lowered the coffin into the ground,
As it seems in death its planned
And I know my dad is resting well.....
With his hat there - in his hand.