The Gift                       

 

 

Under the tree the package sat

Small and plain it was hidden from view.

All other packages neatly wrapped

Crowded it out as it lay unadorned.

 

One by one as fancy boxes were opened

 The gift remained hidden and covered with trash.

Under colored paper, ribbons and streamers

Alone it sat, forgotten amidst the plunder.

 

But then little Jake who was crawling around

Saw the gift as his race car zoomed by.

He picked it up and held it in the air

But it did not impress, for it was so small.

 

Then Billy who was older arrived at the tree

To steal the gift from Jake’s little hand.

He tugged so hard that he pushed the tot down

“Give it to me,” he yelled as Jake’s head hit the ground.

 

First came the tears, then came the crying

As Jake ran to his mother for aid.

Now everyone turned and stared hard at Billy

Whose innocent face could not hide the guilt.

 

“Go to your room,” Mom’s voice rang out!

“What you did was wrong, now go be alone.

But hand me that gift that you stole from Jake

Let go of it now for it is not yours to keep.”

 

 

  

 

Without looking up Billy gave Mom the gift

And stomping his feet and screaming “not fair,”

He ran down the hall to his bedroom and wailed

“This is my house! I can do as I want.”

Now the crying of kids had frightened the cat

Who ran out of hiding from under her chair.

She collided with Mother who was looking away.

Who then slipped on the floor and crashed with a bang.

 

There lay the gift on the floor beside Mom

Who painfully groaned as she held her sore wrist.

Soon all came to help Mom to the couch,

While Rover the pup spied the gift from the hall.

 

Now growling and barking and wagging his tail

He picked up the gift with his slobbering jaws.

So as Mom sat at the sofa resting her leg

The pup grabbed the gift and trotted away.

 

Elizabeth watched as the pup stole the gift

“Hey,” she yelled as it ran down the hall!

But Elizabeth knew she have to get it herself

For all the adults were with Mom on the couch.

 

Rover ran hard till he came to the den

There he laid with the gift, in front of the couch.

Where big brother Tim watched T.V. in the dark

With his girlfriend Micki who had just been let in.

 

Now Rover let go of the gift awfully quick

When he spied Micki’s shoes that were emptied from use.

Quickly he pounced on the bright colored Keds

As his tail pushed the gift just under the couch.

 

 

 

  

Just then the light flashed on with a yell

For little sister had caught their loving embrace.

With her face turning red, Micki hid in the quilt.

But toes underneath told she was still there.

 

With that little girl’s yell came the crowd of adults

As Dad led the way like a knight on a quest.

It was his little girl for whom something was wrong

Most likely he thought she had fallen or tripped.

 

First came the shock and then came the yelling.

Then Dad told his son “you’re grounded, now go”.

 But Tim hollered back with voice a-quivering

“I am eighteen now and I can do what I want!”

 

Just then Micki reached low for her shoes.

When her hand touched the gift, eyes widened bright.

Was it she wondered the ring they had seen?

Or was it a necklace with a trinket from Tim?!

“Ooh” she exclaimed as she picked up the gift.

 Then she eyed her sweetheart who leaving the room.

“Wait” Micki yelled as she jumped off the couch

“Is this my special gift, the one sent from you?”

 

Tim turned at her with a face full of rage.

“Your gift is upstairs, in my room like I said.

Are you dumb, do you listen? I’ve told you before!”

He yelled at his girl, as he raced out the door. 

 

For a second she stood there as everyone stared.

Then eying Mom who had entered the room

She angrily yelled “Boy, your son is a jerk.”

As she tossed the gift onto the couch where it stayed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Micki gathered her things and stomped out the door.

As now everyone looked at the gift that was left.

There on the couch it sat in the middle

On paper now covered with pup’s teeth marks.

 

For awhile no one moved; they just stared at the gift

That laid on the couch and caused grief to all.

But the silence was broken by the opening door

As Micki stood there all covered in snow.

 

That look on her face told the sad truth

She could not leave now, for a blizzard had come.

Elizabeth raced to the window to see.

But nothing was there except swirling white snow.

 

But just as she turned away from the view,

A mighty wind howled as the shutters shook hard.

Rover the pup barked as Elizabeth ran,

Away from the window and over by Mom.

 

Then Jake started crying and Mom had to sit

On the couch by the gift with two scared little kids.

Soon Rover followed all nervous and scared

But when he saw the gift he started to wag.

 

Now everyone smiled as Rover played on the floor with the gift.

As cares went away!

But then someone noticed the flickering lights

That quickly turned off as the storm rattled on.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Then Billy and Tim ran in from their rooms

As Dad and Uncle Ray built a fire by flashlight.

All the adults tried to comfort the kids

Except for Tim the teen who tried to look cool!

 

As the flames started rising, the kids all sighed

“It looks so pretty,” Mom said as she cried.

Then everyone huddled in close to keep warm

As Rover placed the gift in Mom’s lap with a bark.

 

The pup kept on barking while everyone watched

“He must want it opened,” said Uncle Ray from behind.

So carefully Mom took the gift from her lap

That was now covered in drool and smelling of dog.

 

All eyes were upon her as she pulled back the paper

And pulled out the box inside, with a gasp.

“It’s from Cousin Terry who died in the war”

 He must have bought it when he was on leave.

 

Then Mom started crying and she couldn’t stop.

She gave it to Elizabeth who opened it up

A small golden key chain had but one word

“Love” it read, and everyone hugged.

 

Soon the storm ended and the lights came back on.

And not long thereafter all the guests said “goodbye”

Now it was just Mom, Dad and the kids

And a cat and a dog and a house that had Love!