The Strange Ritual of a Wish
Why do humans keep wishing on stars even though we know better.
The Prompt: A wish upon a star.
A wish upon a star is a lovely thought,
but it's not at all practical.
Fairy tales! It is all just a Fairy tale!
But a wish is a declaration
aimed at the universe.
When you wish it, you speak it.
Sending an energy out into the unseen forces.
I once read in a Reader’s Digest,
from the stack that my mother kept
in a basket by her toilet, that
wishing for the thing you want
increases the odds you will get it.
How was this data collected, I wonder.
What research was done?
Or is it more of a collective download?
People start becoming aware
giving it momentum, therefore
believing it into existence.
Is it a ritual?
What is the harm in wishing for something?
Isn't this what life is about?
You long for something. Then do
anything to get it,
adding interest
to your life.
© 2026 Carla Monroy
Part of the 100 Day Poetry Project
Where the Idea of Wishing Begins
When You Wish Upon a Star drum up fantasies of Disney princesses and prince charming’s. I initially thought the famous song was in Beauty and the Beast but it’s from the movie Pinocchio. We watch Geppetto longing for Pinocchio to be a real boy. Interestingly, the song isn’t really about romance, it is more about transformation.
When we wish, we do it while blowing out birthday candles or tossing a coin into a fountain; our heart beats wildly as we wish for the thing we desire. It's unrealistic but we keep doing it anyway.
The Reader’s Digest Experiment
That's when I remember the books from my early childhood. The books that donned a zebra print black and gold spine. One of those books was the story of Pinocchio. It didn’t make much of an impact back then…
What did make an impact was the article in a Reader's Digest claiming that wishing yields results. An article that left me skeptical of a practice that seemed quite ridiculous. What I didn't know was that this was part of the life lesson. When you want something, you must declare it to the universe. That is when it has the chance to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Real Risk of a Wish
A wish doesn't change the universe, but it does change you. When you say something out loud it becomes a focus. It is more likely you will get the thing you desire. At least it moves to the forefront making itself a force to be reckoned with.
At least this is a hypothesis I'm still testing. The real wish isn't fantasy; it is the courage to admit what you want and pursue it. Then you find out if you are the type of person that sees it through, or gives up, and that is where the true fear lies.
What wish have you been afraid to say out loud? I want to hear from you in the comments or send me an email. If someone you know would appreciate this post, please share it with them.
