Unwrapping Your Present. Poem by willow moon pearce

Being thankful for what I got as a gift, as a child

It was different when I was a child
Money was short, and spent
On items of importance
Not trivialities.

Birthdays and holidays
Were big in family excitement
But short on gifts
One present received had to be treasured for a long time

No bicycles, no scooters
But joy of joy
Book tokens, an admission into another world!

Times have changed
And the present has become presents
The ten dollars
Have become four hundred dollars and more
Are gifts like this usual?
Sadly yes
Think about this
Are they a form of blackmail?
Keeping up with the Joneses
Or afraid of rejection from the child

I suppose time will tell
But I was always happy with what I got
My book tokens were a double whammy
Receiving them
And dreaming of what I could choose.


Written after talking to four adolescents.