by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)
Wishes
Language: English
I wish for such a lot of things That never will come true — And yet I want them all so much I think they might, don't you? I want a little kitty-cat That's soft and tame and sweet, And every day I watch and hope I'll find one in the street. But nursie says, "Come, walk along, "Don't stand and stare like that" — I'm only looking hard and hard To try to find my cat. And then I want a blue balloon That tries to fly away, I thought if I wished hard enough That it would come some day. One time when I was in the park I knew that it would be Beside the big old clock at home A-waiting there for me — And soon as we got home again, I hurried thro' the hall, And looked beside the big old clock — It wasn't there at all. I think I'll never wish again — But then, what shall I do? The wishes are a lot of fun Altho' they don't come true.
Confirmed with Sara Teasdale, Sonnets to Duse and Other Poems, Boston : The Poet Lore Company, 1907, p.33
Text Authorship:
- by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "Wishes", appears in Sonnets to Duse and Other Poems [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Johannes Boris Borowski (b. 1979), "Wishes", 2023-24 [ voice and piano ], from Songs after poems by Sara Teasdale, no. 4, Berlin : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-08-04
Line count: 28
Word count: 178