Write a poem about an experience, but from the perspective of another. For example you could write a poem about your wedding from the experience of your spouse, or you could write a poem about an argument with a stranger from the perspective of the stranger.
My mother and my aunt gathered up the four of us –
my cousins, my sister, and me –
and drove into town each December
for the annual Christmas parade.
After Santa waved his goodbyes
And the crowds began to thin,
My mother would hand over a ten-dollar-bill
To me, and another to my sister,
And then handed both of us
Over to our older cousins
For the outing’s second act.
Paired off with a teenager
In one of the town’s two five and dimes,
We painstakingly sought out special gifts
For Mom, for Dad, for sister,
And one for the cousin who cheerfully
supervised the excursion.
Even then, ten dollars could only
Stretch so far.
Handkerchiefs or socks for Dad,
A toy for my younger sister.
Maybe some perfume for my cousin,
Or a bouncy new ball
For when we played jacks together.
But, what to choose for Mom?
My sister veered toward the outrageous –
The more impractical, the better.
Bright red nail polish,
An iridescent purple string of beads
Forever enshrined in family memories
As “the ball bearing necklace.”
My choices, though far more practical,
Failed to attain superior status.
Tubes of liquid glue and a
Padded cover for an ironing board
Must have surely been a disappointment
When the colorful wrapping paper
Parted to reveal its meager contents.
What do the gifts we offer to one another
Reveal about the relationship?
How must I have viewed my mother
At that tender age,
That I offered such mundane gifts
To the woman who offered me
Everything?
