Gift Shopping
They cluster into the retail stores like bees
at work–clustered in their family grounds
and calling to their cars like lost children:
“Where are you?” They scan the lot, squint
into the sun, arms laden with God-
knows-what: polo shirts sewn and steam-
pressed in some hidden-away factory
overseas, a diving watch–water safe, $20
on sale–its blue and glimmering
artificial face like a vivid and synthetic shale.
“I don’t know what to get for him,”
I hear one woman grouse by my car– “And so
I got him one of everything.” Imagine
a line of one hundred thousand bags
stretched out, a wealth of riches no one needs,
as if she had to justify her love
with all the wrapping left behind.
16 thoughts on "Gift Shopping"
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This is very good, Shaun. I like the details, like the women not able to find their cars without help and also unable to find the right gift.
Thanks, Nancy! All of it was just me eavesdropping outside of Hamburg Pavillion in Lexington today.
That watch gets special treatment and your describe it so nicely. Just what every Father wants for his day. Those lost two lines — I often feel that way about Black Friday.
I do feel like the commercialization of the holidays can definitely take away from the people side of the occasion. And I like a watch, but to see a whole row of them and half already look picked over and worn out, it just feels like, whats the point of this object? Thanks, Bill.
And yet he won’t love her back…
Sometimes we spend a lot of energy on people who don’t deserve it!
A beautiful and funny (calling to their cars like lost children!!) and quite the mall hatchet job. I hate shopping.
Thanks, Sylvia. I actually live to shop–I just never have the money to do it :p But I’d definitely prefer it if we could all be more thoughtful as a world community about our consumption
*like to shop–not like, an important distinction!
Poignant last lines. Really the last stanza, how people put the weight of love more on material things than actually getting to know a person. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Phillip. This is my real pet peeve–stuff for staff’s sake is just that–more stuff.
I love this poem, but retailers probably won’t … which may be a good thing? Nicely done.
Thanks so much, Lee.
Oh my stars–your poems are so powerful, & this one is no exception.
My favorite lines:
calling to their cars like lost children
a diving watch–water safe, $20
on sale–its blue and glimmering
artificial face like a vivid and synthetic shale.
And the ending packs a powerful punch, as is true with so many of your poems.
Thank you so much. It really means a lot.
Eavesdropping is a skill most poems need!