A Thousand Little Gifts

Today I wrap you a bundle
of matches; tomorrow I wrap you a flame.

You have been brought in safety
to this bright new day and then
enclosed in some inscrutable
darkness.

So I bring you a thousand little gifts and lay
them at your door in hope that your eye
will catch the low gleam of silver paper and
you will think that it is a light somewhere and
you will remember that the light is with me and
with a flicker of desire you will perhaps
reach toward the handle of the door to
reach for me. I’m here.

But the hand of the Lord is heavy; your hand
is heavy too.

I wrap you a joke, one of your favorites, and
then an incantation.

Three days from now I will have no more
paper and I will lay myself down
to push my wishes underneath your door.
I will stay. Till I am all the way empty I will give
in, give up, give out, for
you, for give.

A thousand little gives. For you.

Photo by Ole Jorgen Bakken

My husband and I have this game.



We're not always playing it... and yet we are. The goal is to be as stealthy as possible, to be wily and artful and devious, to really sneak up on the other person, and when they least expect it, express your heartfelt love!


Recent ploys have gone something like this:


"I don't know if you had heard... I was reading this online today and I love you."


"Hey! I know you're tired right now and you just settled in, but I needed to ask you something important, something you might not want to hear, but it's important to me. [Serious silence.] Who do I love?" He knows the routine: "You love me!" And I always reply, "That's right, Joshi. I love you. You're the only one for me."


"Honey!! What time is it?!? I just remembered-- I love you!"


"Ugh. I have such a headache right now. Would you do me a favor? [as he reaches for my water glass] Could you tell me who I love?" Yeah, and then we have the same conversation: "You love me!" "That's right. I love you. You're the only one for me."


Winner and loser? Well, I think we're tied :)