The Boy with the Red Hat

That red hat boy will be here soon
Whose eyes pursue you 'round the room
Drawn from a hopeful, restless heart
Still life imitating art

An abstract form, a composite
Attracted to the opposite
In catching the beholder's eye
You can love someone and not know why

Laugh or else you cry, give up before you try
Take the easy path, run an early bath

He's on the hook, he's in the frame
Nothing to lose but all to gain
For just one moment of acceptance
Without contrition and repentance

He won't grow up to be a man
With detailed thoughts and complex plans
He doesn't need more than an inkling
Vague ideas and funny feelings

Laugh until you cry, the truth becomes a lie
Take the easy path, always finish last
Give yourself a break, you're neither early nor too late
Turn the other cheek, think before you speak
Give up before you try, laugh or else you cry
Draw an early bath, the future is the past

The boy with the red hat
Has gone for now but he'll be back
He's not for sale, he can't be bought
He's not as foolish as you thought

He's lost the plot, he's lost in space
He's opted out, fell on his face
Without a critic's recognition
He's just an artistic impression