Wishes

It crosses my mind,
As you lean over the cake,
It’s shiny smiley face,
And twirling flames.
If you make a wish when you blow them out?
Probably not,
Wishes are for children.
For those for whom the edges of reality are blurred,
Smudged with rain water,
Bleached with detol,
Slurred with a night that makes you happy,
And the dream of an easy lay.

I wipe an eyelash from her cheek,
“Make a wish,” I say.
And she laughs,
So I make it for her.
Hoover up the discarded wishes that the others didn’t want.
Use and re-use them,
Chant them behind my lips like a prayer I’ll never utter,
If you tell a wish it’s never come true.

It’s habit now,
Wishes are for those who believe in miracles,
And I have to try,
So I make my wish,
On every star,
In every starless sky.