Rita Burns Poet Lyric

A Well for Lost Wishers

Have you seen that old wishing well
It’s the place where dead dreams dwell
Where onlookers can tell
That this is where many hopes fell

Please don’t visit that old wishing well
It’s a place where you’ll shed a few tears
And you’ll tremble with fear
And you’ll realize that none of your dreams are near
Are near

A goal for a penny
Some desires for a dime
The unfulfilled are many
They have payed for humanity’s crimes

Lady Luck won’t see wishes through 
She’s tired of people, she’ll always refuse
All of your wishes are yours to pursue
Cause if you throw them in that well
Your future is doomed
You have much to lose

Now you look at that old wishing well
And your hold on your money’s not tense
You could face consequence
Of letting your guard down and losing your sense

So intrigued by that old wishing well
In the water the coins lost their shine
And it’s not hard to find
The quivers and shivers that run down your spine
Down your spine

Aspirations for a quarter
Hope for a half of a dollar
Your time is getting shorter
You must decide if you’ll throw a coin in that water

Will you surrender and lose your mind
Paying a price for humanity’s crimes
Then you’d be a member of the lost kind
The people that left all they’ve worked for
Far behind

Leave the wishing well
Save your dearest dreams
Cause having the life you want
Is not that hard to achieve

By throwing a coin inside
You’ll lose all your human pride
You could go on a journey, embrace the ride
And yet you’ve followed the tide

So you’ve chosen that old wishing well
And now you are beyond any help
You’re like everyone else

Watch the new penny reach the ground slow
And it’s clear it’s the time that you know
That you’ve chosen wrong so,
Your shaking hand goes 

On a mission to retrieve 
Your own penny so you can believe

Turn your back to that old wishing well
It’s a place where dead dreams dwell
Now you can tell
It’s a place where hopes fell
You haven’t fallen to the spell

And no one should ever return
To that old wishing well

But as long as people do wrong
They’ll be those
Who will stay
By that wishing 
Well

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Susan Ashley July 4, 2024 at 8:24 AM Dear Rita, your insightful lyric is a rhythmic, rhyming cautionary tale against relying on luck or chance to make your dreams come true. Beautiful, bittersweet verses are filled with vivid imagery, poignant emotion and vibrant metaphor. The false hopes provided by the "wishing well" are a striking contrast to the human efforts required to make one's dreams come true. A brilliant, somber lyric! Congratulations for your win in Mark's contest. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan Rita Burns July 4, 2024 at 8:51 AM Thank you so much for your kind words!

Beata Agustin June 17, 2024 at 8:49 AM Thanks for sharing this... exposing your "wishing well" thoughts through your unique poetic style. Welcome to Poetry Soup. I welcome you with the love of the Lord, expressed by John 3:16 of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Be blessed.