an excellent wrapper
this evening i was wrapping a present
for a friend
the roll of paper rambled over
the living room floor
and a curious kitten outskirted
the whole operation—
which took much longer than expected
meticulously i worked to make straight
the cuts and folds
and to get everything just so
then i remembered how my mother
was the most excellent of wrappers
together we would sit and conceal
the family’s christmas gifts
she’d be applying the last piece of tape
to her sixth
they all appeared factory-wrapped
pulled tight and pristine
while i’d just finished cutting the paper
for my second
now in my own living room
some years later
i finally got to wondering, how does one become
such an accomplished gift-wrapper?
mostly from giving a lot
of gifts i’d think
Advertisement
