Juggler by day

A recurring nightmare often
jolts me awake most nights
I am hydra-headed and being chased
by a throng of haranguing hats!

The sum of all the things I do
all the roles that I intend to play
each one vies for the top spot
which will be the chosen one of these hats!

A mother, a wife, a cook, a poet
or actually just a general dogsbody
some fit, some give me a headache
I try not to play favourite with my many hats!

I try to slip into each effortlessly
most times I falter, sometimes I don’t
I wish I were a dexterous multitasker
juggling with the multitude of hats!

What empowers me is also my vulnerability
but my vulnerability gives me strength
how I am perceived with each, is the problem
not with wearing a one too many hats!

’tis not easy to keep balancing
for I can’t pick one at the drop of a hat
I promise I am not talking through my hat
uneasy surely lies the head that dons too many hats!

Written for dVerse poetics. Today’s host, Mish, says: Maybe you have that hat, still worn today or tucked away for sentimental reasons. Maybe someone you know has donned an unforgettable hat, a memorable piece of their identity or personality. Pay homage to the hat in a poem.

Metaphorically, we’ve worn the hats!! Child. Parent. Grandparent. Career. Poet. Friend. Use one as your muse.

OR you can approach the idea of a hat to symbolize something even more abstract. Are you wearing a hat of forgiveness, reflection, self-pity, support, adventure, hope, bravery, justice, generosity?

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