Five Wishes

...Anne Porter Five Wishes I'd like to have a wild bird Perch on my hand Perhaps a sparrow Or a chickadee Sudden with her sharp feet And fragile daring I'd like to see again The etchings Rembrandt made Of stories from the Bible For though they're plain As Bethlehem's hay A homely radiance fills them And 1 would like to visit The Laguna Indians And their adobe villages And their small ancient church That's made of whitewashed clay With wooden rafters And their Madonna To whom they've given An apron of white lace And I would like to learn To accept my death To accept our dying Which is a scandal And a mystery But part of us Meant to be part of us Like sleep Like giving birth And I would like to find The little shrine of Chimayo Where the lame leave their crutches I'd like to go there With my daughter Katie And it would be enough Just to be there Without any miracles.hout any miracles...