I was thinking earlier about the fabled granting of three wishes, by such creatures as genies or fairy godmothers, and it got me wondering what would I do if it ever happened to me? Perhaps it’s best that it doesn’t. It’s also why I’d never want to win the lottery….

If I had a lamp, 
the kind that Aladdin had,
that I tried to clean one day -
and a shape-shifting blue genie
with the voice of Robin Williams jumped out
and offered me three wishes -
what would I do?

World peace? 
That would be a good first choice.
An end to war of any kind - 
stay where you are and as you are
you may not take another's land.
But also there will be no military repercussions
for evil deeds done in the past.
We will not send our soldiers.
If you have invaded a country
you may stay there.
Whatever your regime - we will not fight you now.
I'm sure that counts as peace, doesn't it?
But a terrible kind.

What about an end to world hunger instead?
Share and share alike.
We must have less,
take less
from the global table,
so that others can eat.
Cancel the debts of the developing countries
and help them out of poverty.
But would we feel the pinch?

Ok then, how about we open all the borders
so people in famine-ridden lands
don't have to stay where it's hard?
Let them into our country
where we have enough.
Live down my street
beside me and mine - as if they belonged here.
What about that?

Um
I wish maybe for
a nice time for us.
A holiday?
A new car?
An extension on my little kingdom,
my pretty palace where I can shut the doors
against the world and pretend that
inside I am thinking generous, magnanimous
thoughts about my fellow man -
whilst I count my coins carefully
and decide that I will use my three wishes
to wish for endless wishes.
To spend all on me
on my little island 
forever.




As someone once said (I wish I knew who but I don't):

"The heart of the human problem, is the problem of the human heart."