deep winter
a boy in the fountain
collecting wishes

8 Responses

  1. Garry Says:

    I guess it doesn't freeze there.

    A practice that goes back a long way, to when people still believed there were spirits living in or near natural springs who needed appeasement and could influence the future.
    The boy is a hungry agnostic.

  2. Gary Michael Dault Says:

    "Collecting wishes" is too sentimental for haiiku (or fur any other species of poetry)

  3. seaviewwarrenpoint Says:

    Funny, Alan – this made me think of The Little Match Girl too. Whenever I read that or saw an animation/film that referred to it, I wept silently to myself! :(

    It also made me think of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, but then 'deep winter' suggested coldness and he ought to have been making wishes, so I did think perhaps he was taking the coins.

    marion

  4. David Wood Says:

    works for me. unusual thought.

  5. Allison Says:

    Absolutely beautiful, I love it!
    "collecting wishes" is a delightful way of showing the boy collecting the coins that people have thrown in.

  6. Paul Heinowski Says:

    Wonderful haiku! It has pathos and humour blended very effectively

  7. Alan Summers Says:

    .
    deep winter
    a boy in the fountain
    collecting wishes

    —KATHY LIPPARD COBB

    .
    I like how this can be read in more than one way. It could be the boy is stealing the pennies thrown/tossed into the fountain. As the first line tells us, it's potentially bitterly cold, and every penny towards food or heating is vital. Perhaps the boy is just going to buy some expensive fast food, or drugs, we don't know.

    Whatever his wish or wishes, or other people's wishes, shouldn't we hope he makes it through the night unlike HC Andersen's The Little Match Girl?

    Alan

  8. hoa khai truong Says:

    I like how this can be read in more than one way. It could be the boy is stealing the pennies thrown. Thank posst

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