(winter Poems) Christmas Present Poem by Janice Windle

What shall I give you for Christmas? I said.
What a question! you complained.
OK, I said, I'll give you something
nice and smelly from the Body Shop.

But, you said, please,
don't give me
the cold shoulder,
or the elbow, or
the bum's rush. Please,
don't give me lip
or cheek - unless I've
asked for it. Please,
you said, don't give me
two fingers, or calf love
(I'm too old for that, I said)
And don't kidney, you went on,
because I couldn't stomach that.

No, I said, but I could give you
the glad eye,
the thumbs-up,
a leg-up...
I could give you a hand...
in fact, as everybody nose,
I want to give you the whole
package: myself,
heart, body and soul....

I quite like that moisturiser
they make from palm oil, you said,
could you get me some of that?