Quest for the perfect gift

This is that anxiety-provoking time of the year

When people shell out money and continue to fear

Whether the cash they’ve doled out is well-spent

On gifts they have selected for each recipient

There is an element of uncertainty inherent 

When you shop for that supposedly perfect present

That appeals to the recipient and to your pocket is kind

Hope their needs match what you have for them in your mind

 

You worry about your gift screaming of frugality

Or wonder if they would ever figure out the reality

That what you have gifted them had been, in a corner

Languishing, it was received as a gift last year-

Yet another generic gift you could find no use for somehow

You had to recycle it, your finance-savvy conscience would not allow

Any gift to go waste, repackaging is a viable option

You save some dollars, it is a win-win situation

 

Then there are those impulsively bought knickknacks

During travels abroad, gifting them is a neat hack

But..your friends might not share your eclectic taste

What you loved might be for them a complete waste.

Sometimes you want to give a handcrafted present

You crave some recognition for your talent

But your hopes are dashed when  a lukewarm reception

Is all you get for your painstaking effort and selection

 

Of all the choices that I make in a year

Holiday-gifting is the one I always fear

Once the ordeal is over, I decide I would do

A better job next year, by looking out for clues

That indicate the likes and dislikes of my friends

Some things I remember, but much is forgotten

By the time the next season rolls around-

I still hope some wisdom in gifting I’ve found!