Make A Wish

Make a wish, they said.

Endless brown eyes, drawn to the endless sky,
Tiny brown hands, reaching for suns that pass by,
Arms yet too short to catch that star,
Catch a mother's hand instead.

A hand-full of love for a son,
One moment of pain, then it's gone,
And when he reaches up for a hand, there is none,
And no stars to be caught in the rain.

Make a wish, they said.

Dull brown eyes no longer see the sky,
Small brown hands clutch at people passing by,
Arms soon too dirty to catch love,
Catch a kick or a coin instead.

Take a hand-full of coins, now you run,
Some days there is food, some there's none,
Try to reach for your dreams but they're gone,
And no stars to be caught in the dust.

Make a wish, they said.

Tired brown eyes have no time for the sky,
Calloused hands toil as the years pass us by,
Arms strong enough for a lover,
Catch a girl, who soon is a mother,
He sought the stars,
found the sun instead.

Both hands full, work to be done,
Yearns for his love, but can never stay long,
Still toils in the dust, when his youth is long gone,
So a young man can dream of numbers.

Make a wish, they said.

Endless brown eyes smile at the sky,
Bony old hands reach, as memories pass by,
Never caught that star, but life was worthwhile,
even without.

Make a wish, they said.

A grandfather's hands no longer reach for the sky,
No longer grasping at suns that pass him by,
Reaching down towards the land instead,
And,
Just as he thought:
Catches the tiny brown hand

Of an astronaut.