The Fourth Wish

 The genie gave me

A fourth wish

And I didn’t know

What to wish for

I had planned my three wishes

So carefully

That when the fourth wish was offered

Unexpectedly

I had nothing to ask for

I wanted to give

The fourth wish away

To someone

Who could use it

But the genie said

It had to go to me

And the wish

Had to be something

That I wanted

Not something

For anyone else

I felt so bad

That I begged the genie

To take back

The offer

Of the fourth wish

I had already spent

Three wishes on myself

I couldn’t possibly

Spend another wish

On something I wanted

Couldn’t I ask

For world peace?

Couldn’t I ask

For hunger to end

And heartache

And war?

The genie wouldn’t allow that

For the first three wishes

But I thought it would change its mind

Since the fourth wish

Was a special wish

Those requests were too grand

For an ordinary wish

But for a fourth wish

Couldn’t I ask

For something extraordinary?

The genie said

It had to be something

Simple

Not extraordinary

And it had to be something
Only I could enjoy

I was so upset

I was so very upset

I was so upset

That I asked

For the simplest

Smallest

Most insignificant thing

I could think of

I asked

For an apple

The next thing I knew

I had an apple in my hand

I didn’t know

What to do

Should I eat the apple?

That apple

Was the result

Of the world’s

Most valuable gift

A wish meant only

For the person

The wish

Was given to

Had I wasted it?
Had I wasted my wish?

I wondered if it’s selfish

To use a wish meant for yourself

On something you really want

Or if it’s selfless instead

To ask for something

That will only satisfy you

Momentarily

I decided that there was no way

To waste something

You didn’t know

You were going to have

I told myself

To enjoy my apple

And not waste what I could waste

Which was time

Worrying about

A wasted wish

The apple was delicious

And I told myself

That if I wanted to do something

For others

I didn’t need a fourth wish

I told myself

I would make up

Other fourth wishes

That I could give

To those who would never think

To make a wish

For themselves