By Valerie Seger
WRAPPEST THOU THY GIFT?
He thrust away the shimmering folds Of sheer green tissue, and he turned From all the lustrous lengths Of golden cord. The while he sighed. For lo, 'Twas wearisome he found the task, Too wearisome to wrap a gift, E'en all the gifts that waiting lay Around the fragrant fir, The verdant, fragrant fir. "Forsooth, my brother," he complained, 'Tis easier To give a gift unwrapped! Why fret ourselves with all those bows, These flaring loops and bows?" Surprised, His brother queried, ''How Const thou this loveliness deplore? Methinks a costly gift Deserves a robe of splendor. Even simple things, behold! How wondrously they are enhanced When sheathed in green and gold, In shining green and gold! " The idle one spoke sullenly. "They vex me all — The green and gold, The endless green and gold, The tissue, and the tinsel, And the little holly sprigs!" "Indeed!" cried out his brother then. "Thou dost forget To Whom These gifts around our fragrant fir, Our verdant, fragrant fir, Belong! A t Christmas tide, we speak, 'tis true In lowly terms of Him — The Babe, the Manger Child. But He's a King! How dost thou dare to give a King A g ift unwrapped?" Insisted still the fretful one, " It is the g ift that counts! The King W ill look upon the g ift itself, Nor care about lt$ wrappings." "Nay, say it not," his brother cried, "That our dear King
Ignores the tissue folds of green, The cords of gold, the loops of gold, Nor pays them any heed! Perhaps He deems a gift unwrapped As proffered grudgingly, A duty gift, A barren gift! Wouldst thou give that to Him, Our King?" A silence fell. The cheerless one stared thoughfully And long upon the fragrant fir, The verdant, fragrant fir. And lo! That tree receded from his gaze, And in its place Another tree appeared . . . A cruel tree . . . a rugged tree Upon a lonely hill, A lonely, windswept hill. 'Twas then the musing brother wept And whispered, "How Could I, ungrateful wretch, forget That God gave not His greatest Gift To me, Unwrapped?" "That Gift was swathed in glorious folds Of mercy, grace, compassion, And understanding love. These were His precious wrappings As joyously He gave, Gave all A t Bethlehem, at Calvary!" "But I, alas! Have proffered to my Saviour-King So many gifts Unwrapped . . . The errands on reluctant fe e t. . . His tasks performed Ungraciously . . . My service unadorned with love . . . All duty gifts, All barren gifts!" Full long he pondered thus. But at the last He dried his tears. He smiled, Yea, smiled upon his brother. Yea, With eager hands green tissue folds He seized And looped a cord of gold, A scintillating cord Of gold.
DECEMBER, 1959
15
Made with FlippingBook Online document