Unwrapped
it was the cardboard
of the box
rather than its content
burning
that left me warmer
than before.
I tried to tie
its ribbon tight again,
but at present
it’s too late.
Christmas Gifs
Karin left us with a challenge to write about something real, yet full of artifice at toads. I have no clue if I came even close. I will link up to Poetry Pantry at PU tomorrow as well.
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January 16, 2016
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Ha, Bjorn–this is full of word play of a delightfully subtle yet almost punnish kind–of course, you came close! k.
It is never easy to retie a ribbon that has been untied…even though we might wish to. And around here a lot of people are giving up on providing gift boxes, going more ‘green.’ In any case, no matter what the package looks like it is the thought that is most important, the fact that there was a box in the first place!
Gift-wrapped makes it pretty and presentable. Once untied it had already served its purpose. So it’s ok! Clever posting Bjorn!
Hank
Clever writing and I love puns.
Nice writing on the pre-Christmas pre-opening. Artifice (con, deception ??) might be hard for me also. I hope Karin grades me.
No, it is hard to put wrapped packages, once opened, back together again (Humpty D).
..
interesting write here !
Love the word play on this one 🙂
Excellent write Bjorn.
You can’t go back to the way it was..but then the way it was perhaps isn’t worth going back to… wonderfully written metaphor Bjorn! Loved it.
ha..once done it’s done like caught eavesdropping or reading someone else’s letter…
I think it matches the challenge perfectly..perhaps the best part of any gift is knowing someone cared enough to wrap it and tie a bow..once untied it is tempting to try and recreate that feeling
A present received means your were thought about even though receiving such a gift is sometimes a disappointment.
Love the practical reality of the impulsiveness and inability to retie tgat which has been unwrapped – deeply touched by the deeper symbolism of trying to undo an action and return something to its original appealing untouched state.
Everything summed up in that burning of the gift, while the wrapper, surely a more ephemeral and meaningless thing, is valued–which perhaps reflects the warmth of handwriting or other memento of personal connection while the contents are not so pleasing a present or maybe the destructive power of time, because the present is always burning away–or both, or something I haven’t discovered yet–the ambiguity adds to the enjoyment of the language. You have worked the concepts of this prompt delightfully, Bjorn.
I love your image! I certainly have attempted to restore the container of feelings and emotions with the flimsy ribbons left behind!
Sometimes we have to burn something up to survive, but we can’t go back, can we? Really interesting poem. I enjoyed it.
What an intriguing poem that has me left wondering about the box and not the contents….the thought not the gift perhaps. And yes we cannot ever retie the contents back in the container like they were. I’d say you hit the mark with this one!
This is so cool, Bjorn!
I agree: excellent word play that makes much of homophones and layered meanings. I must say, “gift sunwrapped” is my favorite. So easily can we shift dis-content (or burning content, as it were) to the warmth of joy just by tilting our head in a different direction.
“card bored” is another interesting twist
The “of the box” line makes the present a woman. And it seems that after “opening” her, you can’t quite manage // to get your tie back on straight. Maybe just drape it around your collar with your top buttons undone. A much better look for a writer anyway.
That line break after “tie” also makes it tie-dyed, for me.
Awesome and it was perfect! You made it real!
Loved the play on words too! Hugs!
The story behind the poem is what intrigues me…..oblique and well crafted. Loved it. Especially trying to re-tie the ribbon.
ah….the box it came it…sometimes best.
This is understated, with enough wit to drive your point home.
Love the play on words 😛
the excitement of the surprise :v
Happy Sunday
much love…
Like people have written, this poem is wonderful because of its word-play, which draws attention to the piece as artifice. Something made and fashioned.
I’ve been know to often hug my gift before opening because indeed, it is the thought that someone cared to not only give, but make it pretty. Nice puns through out and truly, once something has been undone, it is impossible to get it back to its original state. Great metaphor for things that once opened, can’t be put back again – Humpty Dumpty, virginity, a baby birthed. But this is also on the surface, a gently fun poem in and of itself.
I feel like this poem is symbolic of dilemmas felt by everyone on a daily basis. I can feel the triumph, the devastation, and the happy ending in it. good write!
An intriguing piece!
perhaps, unwrapped was where the beauty really was…the gift without all the fancy wrappings.,,once untied the gift changes forever.
the anticipation – the intense gaze of the one giving – the hoped for pleasure – it all is a part of the gift unwrapped! Love this poem.
Clever and rich with word play,
Elizabeth
As a kid, I got pretty good at rewrapping boxes that I’d peeked into. But a gift is never the same, after that … the actual contents: never as magical as imagination sees them.
perhaps it was the person who gave the present that made you value the cardboard more than the contents?
loved the delightful play of words.
Very creative wordplay.
“at present it’s too late…” GREAT line for this piece!
Love the metaphor behind the try to re-tie …never ever possible
this poem, for me, was a more romantic metaphor kind of read.
maybe i’m just a hopeless romantic at heart, but i couldn’t help but apply your words and metaphors to the feel of a lover against lovers skin.
lovely write. very witty!
“Close” gets the ribbon ~~~ incredibly done!
There are some very fun little plays on words here. They almost belie the sense of disappointment conveyed by the piece. I rather like that. It really gives a sense of personality to the speaker – someone witty and adept at joking as a way of dealing with things.