Christmas Gift - 1968

Why a poem as a Christmas gift:
Only because of poverty:
Or is there further reason,
Positive value to commend
The writing of a verse at Christmastide:

I think there is!

First off, a poem cannot be bought.
As such no value can,
In monetary terms,
Be to poetry applied -
And therefore no discussion
Of who spent more or less.

Second,
And I'm sure the much more weighty case
For a poetic gift,
Is that a poem cannot
An empty present be.

The thought behind the gift...
They say this is the thing.

And yet, how many folds begrudge
The few coins for a gift?
How many settle
For what they only hope
The recipient will like?

At best, these gifts are only poor
Tokens of feelings
Which may or not exist.

But no one writes a poem
Unless he feels,
And loves.

The thought behind the gift is in it;
The thought is the gift - is the poem.