Haberdashers, it is true,
are hardly known for derring-do,
or swashbuckling, or hurling stones,
or smashing heads and dragon bones.

But let that man exalted be,
that Hercules of hattery,
whose name no history ever says:
all hail the man who made the fez.

*****

Kelly Scott Franklin writes: “This comes from my collection-in-progress, A Curious Alphabet of Hats, a whimsical alphabet book of poems about, well, hats. The Fez is not a silly hat from its origins. But it is comical to see American members of the Shriners club wearing it while they drive their go-carts in parades. I’m especially proud of the alliterative-allusive-hyperbole “that Hercules of hattery.” This poem and more entries from A Curious Alphabet of Hats have appeared here (Light Poetry Magazine) and another here (Lighten Up Online). I have also begun A Curious Alphabet of Birds, but haven’t gotten any farther than Dodo.”

Kelly Scott Franklin lives in Michigan with his wife and daughters. He teaches American Literature and the Great Books at Hillsdale College. His poems and translations have appeared in AbleMuse Review, Literary Matters, Driftwood Literary Magazine, Iowa City Poetry in Public, National Review, Thimble Literary Magazine, Ekstasis, and elsewhere. His essays and reviews can be found in Commonweal, The Wall Street Journal, The New Criterion, Local Culture, and elsewhere. 
https://www.hillsdale.edu/faculty/kelly-scott-franklin/

Photo: “Kirk Talks to Spock about his ‘Fez Addiction'” by The Rocketeer is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.