The Gifts
On birthdays, holidays and visits,
my mother always gave blankets,
fuzzy ones, wool ones, fleeces,
comforters, quilts, throws, afghans,each time saying something like
"you can keep it in your trunk," or
"it can go on your couch" or simply
"I just thought you could use it,"and my father liked to give flashlights,
camping lights, outdoor strings,
solar pen lights to clip to keychains,
lamps he'd made in his workshop,and I would give a sarcastic "Thanks.
Just what I needed," and put them aside.
It would be years before I understood
these gifts, my parents, warmth and light.
