The Gift

New Prompt: You are trying to get your Christmas shopping done, and then the lights fall out. Write a poem, using "The Pantoum" as your form to write down your experiences. Note: no frustrations!

My child gazed 'round with eyes wide and bright,
As we stood in place at the back of the line.
And suddenly we were plunged into the darkness of night,
I told him softly that all would be fine.

As we stood in place at the back of the line,
I heard him clutch his present with care.
I told him softly that all would be fine,
When the lights came back on we'd be nearly there.

I heard him clutch his present with care,
The gift he'd carefully picked for his dad.
When the lights came back on we'd be nearly there,
And he could pay with all the money he had.

The gift he'd carefully picked for his dad,
He'd held ready when the lights came back.
And he could pay with all the money he had,
As he gently carried away the precious sack.

He'd held ready when the lights came back,
And we were suddenly plunged into the darkness of night.
As he gently carried away the precious sack,
My child gazed 'round with eyes wide and bright.


This won the Writer's Cramp on 12/18/03!