Thursday, December 31, 2009

2010 Wishlist

I'm not a fan of New Year Resolutions. They reek of being good and behaving yourself! And no one should have that kind of pressure.

But a wishlist is something else. What would you like to see in 2010? For yourself? I played a wishlist game, quite a few years ago now, during a Christmas Party at the University of Kent... collecting wishes from as many people as possible and then assembling them into a poem. You can read it below.

One of my wishes listed in the poem was 'a house by the sea', and, now I live in one! Maybe writing things down can make them come true : )

So, post your wishlists here. Have a wonderful New Year's Eve and wishing you all the good things you need in 2010.

Lynne x

What We Want
The School of English Christmas Wish-List 2002

We want flats in London, shepherds’ huts,
houses by the sea. We want the smell of pine trees,
lavender and roses on pillows, fresh white sheets.
We want a cure for snoring, more hours to sleep,
more laughing dreams. We want convertibles
and window seats, movie posters and movie passes,
crystals and mirrors, ironwork in unexpected places.
We want unlined hands, half-moons in our nails,
smooth feet. We want good foot-balling knees
and J. Lo’s bum, faces that don’t give us away,
20/20 vision, hair that goes white not grey, bodies
of Greek gods that won’t shrink as we get older.
We want to be piano players, Salsa dancers,
lucky in cards and Lottery winners. We want
our books to write themselves, win contracts,
to say goodbye to QA and PhDs. We want to write
shining essays. And can we have more chairs,
more money, full time jobs? Can we please
abolish Comedy & Tragedy? And have gardens
that look after themselves, magic fireplaces
that light every morning and clean away at night,
clothes that don’t need ironing - purple shoes,
tight red leather skirts. We want cranks
to open our minds wider, devices to translate
what people really mean, to listen harder.
We want our futures to survive their construction,
for our children to get their degrees, to find
themselves, their places in this world,
and return to us safe and in health. We want
to remember them at their best. And for all of us
to be happy cats and birds, to drink good wine
and have the space and time to watch trees
change slowly. And if magic really does exist –
for Spurs to win the title, Liverpool the League,
for Bob Marley to rise and give us babies.
And less fear, yes less of that, no wars,
and more joy, freedom and peace, and peace
of mind, yes, much, much more of that.

9 comments:

Olive Tree said...

Hi, it's a very great blog.
I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
Keep doing!

Martin Cordrey said...

Wish list

I wish it were yesterday.

I wish this beautiful snow would cease,
or only fall on holidays.

I wish I could eat without gaining weight
or the need for exercise -
for more hair, less lines, more laughter,
an extra zero or two in my bank account.

I wish fairies existed so I did not have to lie
to my daughter, if they are real
I wish they would talk to me.

I wish I could walk through the back of my wardrobe,
beyond the clothes, talk to lions
and battle with evil queens.

I wish I could be the same age as my children
for one day, be their friend, I wish
they could understand how much I love them,
we love them.

I wish goldfish did not die.

Lynne Rees said...

Hi Martin - lovely! Have a great 2010 and may some of your wishes true.

Anonymous said...

Wish List

For my daughter’s smile
to be on the face
of everyone I love
for my son’s laughter
to be shared among
those in need of laughter
for the man who walks
the street shaking his fist
that his hand will open wide
for the woman in the waiting room
to see her file closed go home
and await her grandchild’s birth
for the men and women
parted from their loved ones
a peaceful safe return
for you and I
to continue
our dance of the heart.

Eileen Carney Hulme

Hi Lynne
wishing you joy and inspiration in 2010 x

Lynne Rees said...

Eileen, that's so beautiful. I love 'that his hand will open wide'. Have a joyful and creative year. L x

Anonymous said...

Wants


He wanted an archer fish, a South American tree frog, a dog, a green parakeet. He wanted an English translation of Kalevipoeg,
a star gazers telescope, a specialist book for gourmet chocolate making. He wanted to save rainforests, endangered species, resurrect the thylacines protect kakapos. He wanted to be vegetarian, prevent global warming, stop wars. He wanted to achieve high scores, learn new words, study Joyce’s Ulysses, arrive at Oxford.

Now, he wants an apartment
in the city, freedom, to come and go, balance in his work and play, a university without pressure, a subject he enjoys. He wants
a well toned body, abs and pecs, gym membership, a chin-up. He wants a meaty diet for protein,
a few drinks down the pub with friends,an interesting film, a computer game or two. He wants
to get up late morning, watch TV, buy clothes from Burton Men’s. He wants a kitchen, a modern rug,
an i-pod player, independence,
experience, exploration, time
to discover what he really wants.

Lynne Rees said...

Thanks for posting, Anonymous. I like this a lot - great contrast between the two parts.

Mary Rose said...

Christmas Wish List for 2010-01-23
I wish you hadn’t died
but thank you for staying around so that I can
talk to you. You have no voice but I answer for you and you reply
with that gentle quiet smile.
I wish I could feel your never-cold hands
as they transfer their warmth and love
to my frozen fingers.

I wish there would soon be comfort and help to stem
the misery for the earthquake survivors in Haiti.
What irony in Act of God when applied to such
catastrophic natural phenomena.

I wish my good health and strength may last me out.
I wish my sleeping muse would wake.
I wish my dreams would make more sense.

Lynne Rees said...

Hello Mary Rose - maybe your dreams (the ones that don't make any sense) are your muse : )) Thanks for posting your poem.