Undecided

Your mother & I didn't know what
to get you for a present, Father said.
We kept asking you, but you wouldn't
tell us. So we got what's good
for all occasions—a shirt. But since
we've given you that for your last three birthdays
we were hoping to give you something different.
We were thinking of just giving you cash,
but that'd have been too impersonal. Plus,
you might have saved it & not spent it.
This way even if you don't wear them we might
still get some use out of them. If you suddenly
started accusing us of never getting you anything
we could open your drawer & show you the shirts.
Just because you don't wear them doesn't negate our intent.

Hal Sirowitz