the wish III

I had a wish, a little secret
dream that for the longest time
I tried to deny, I
stuffed it down deep
into the dark corners
of my crowded closet
of a heart. it seemed too
impossible to ever
come true – I was looking
for a unicorn, a Pegasus,
or some other magical
creature that didn’t seem
to exist in the realm
of the quotidian.

but my wish grew in the dark
like a potato growing
shoots from its eyes, it
sent out threads and feelers
until finally one day I
opened the door
to find it had erupted
in my absence into a
tangled vine spelling out
in no uncertain terms:
this is what you want.

I broke my own heart
a hundred times over
looking at the local horseflesh,
trying to glue a horn
onto stubborn donkeys and
strap wings to ill-trained colts.

then I heard the sound
of a large flapping wing
and saw my dream steed
had arrived. he stood before me
and pawed the ground
and suddenly I had to decide
whether to trust this beautiful
creature or send him away.

at first I was terrified.
what do you do when
your wish comes true, and
a whole new world suddenly
opens up before you?
how much more would it hurt
to find Fairyland only to have it
snatched away?

it still seems too good to be true,
but I’ll fly away. I’d rather fall
from a great height
than never leave
the ground.