Wishing Well Kind of Wishes

by Ernie McCray

As the world spins
seemingly out of control
I find unfolding in me
the kind of wishes
one would make at a wishing well
in a fairy tale,
wishing that
Secretaries of State
in America’s states
will rise early every day
and stay up late
ensuring that
a former president
who is filled with hate,
like a rattle snake
overflowing with venom,
will not be a candidate
in his or her state,
wishing that
a nation
would set aside
its teenage-like
crush on guns
and write laws
that offer us protection
from the human devastation
firearms wreak on its citizens
and show our children
that they are loved,
that they’re precious to us,
wishing that we’d
be less depressed
at someone not standing
for the anthem,
and more impressed
that someone might,
rather than rise,
take a knee
to bring attention to
the oppressed,
wishing
that those we elect
to better our lives
took their roles seriously
and gave us hope
that there could be
promising solutions
to the myriad of
multi-faceted social and political problems|
facing us on the horizon,
rather than rendering us breathless, exhausted
in reaction
to their lackadaisical reckless
“3 Stooges”
approach to legislating,
wishing that
we could view the Israeli-Gaza horrors
not so much from taking sides
with Zionists or terrorists
but through a humanitarian lens wherein,
if nothing else,
Palestinians can be seen
as human beings
as opposed to
damage deemed “collateral.”

Wishing that human understanding
becomes the norm
in a troubled world.