What does "ready" mean?
Boxes with bows, shining paper neatly trimmed
and taped, a heap of planning.
I always worry nothing I give
is enough. Wishing to share a mood,
breeze, hope, a better idea . . . I want the kids
in Gaza to have electricity all day long
and the kids in Bethelem to feel peace with
their neighbors and no walls blocking movements,
no kids sad about houses crushed or
parents disappeared. I want no trees uprooted.
O little town of Bethlehem, might the year end
on a high note of joy?
Could people in hospitals
come bounding forth, suddenly well,
and no one feel abandoned? Everyone surprised
by love. A man said,
Whatever you are planning to give,
give twice as much.
That's what I want.
Then I will be ready.
Naomi Shihab Nye, "Christmas Is Coming!: Celebrate the Holiday with Art, Stories, Poems. Songs, and Recipes" (Harry N. Abrams, 2019)
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