Lucky Lincoln
by Annie Brooks

A crack in the sidewalk puts mummy’s back at risk
I hop over it now- I never miss.
With two feet now I go over each
But no! I miss and my back breaks!
Oh wait, false alarm, merely a scrape.
I tend my wound, but I am no doctor.

When I start to rise, my hand pulls back-
Something cold has touched my hand.
It’s mid-summer. This makes me think.
I lift my palm and almost go blind
When sunlight bounces off this reflector
And pours into my eyes.
It is small and round with something bearded.
A man, could it be?
So precious and alone, with heads up waiting for me!

Lucky pennies are very rare
To be put to good use and not cast-off.
I have been honored, but what now?
My wants are many
Practically impossible to count.
But what of the wishes
That need be wished the most.
Pressure is coming from around the globe now.
Can I just wish not to let anyone down?
What to do, what to do
With the power I have been given.
I must start with the top and work my way through.

Of course, I wish for world peace.
If only it could be such a snap
To make everyone shake hands.

Next on the list is Peter Pan’s posse
Just not the ones from Neverland.
These boys are lost
But they know where their home is.
It is torn and messy like a dress unfinished.

Thinking about them makes me sad
But soon I hope they will be glad.
The penny is growing warm in my hand
Wrapping my brain around its might.

Since the ABC’s are so important
Why shouldn’t everyone sing along?
If only all people knew them backwards and forwards just like me.

My next penny wish is to better us all
But it may take more than a wish
For this to come true.
Our bodies are a battle zone, never a dull moment.
How wonderful it will be
When our bodies will stand tall,
And never have to lift a finger
To be safe.

The sun is starting to set
I know, I can barely see Mr. Lincoln.
I’ve saved my best wish for last
So Mr. Lincoln remembers it best.
It would be the gift of a life time
If while I walk this Earth
I can bring a smile to someone’s face.