Come away, O Human Child...

June 13, 2008 11:52 AM

I need a snippet of a poem or quote from a children's book about wishes.

I'm giving this totally cute pewter bubble wand as one of several gifts for my goddaughter's christening in a few weeks. I figure it's a slightly more whimsical take on the pewter/silver gifts that are typically given at a christening.

Since she's too young to appreciate it just yet, my current plan is to put it in a shadow box, the back of which I was thinking of lining with some cool handmade paper, and scribbling a quote from a children's poem or book (alternately, I might write the quote around the edges of the glass) on the paper. I've been searching, but I've yet to happen upon something lovely and inspiring. I'd like to stick to the dreams and/or wishes motif, but I'm open to suggestion.

The quote needs to be fairly short, as I don't have a whole lot of room to write. I'm trying to avoid the more obvious stuff -- e.g. preferably no Disney, no Pooh, etc. I've always loved Yeats's "The Stolen Child," but the bit about the world being full of weeping seems a little bleak for a baby gift.

Any particularly appropriate quotes leap to mind?

posted by shiu mai baby to media & arts (6 comments total)

The "If wishes were horses" nursery rhyme is probably the most obvious one that leaps to mind:

If wishes were horses,
Beggars would ride.
If turnips were watches,
I would wear one by my side.

But a snippet from Imagine might be nicer:

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one...

posted by jamaro at 11:59 AM on June 13

Check out a couple of Shel Silverstein books from the library - many of the poems are pretty goofy but sometimes there are some pretty lovely ones. Here are a couple of quotes from this page.

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

"If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!"
posted by pocams at 12:24 PM on June 13 [1 favorite]

Take your pick of lines from Dylan's "Forever Young":

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
posted by headnsouth at 12:31 PM on June 13

"...It is only with the Heart that one can see rightly,
What's essential is invisible to the eye...."

Perhaps a lesson for us all.

From The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.
posted by Blacksun at 1:14 PM on June 13

Very pretty! To go with the stars, you could use the classic:

Star Light, Star Bright
First Star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.

Or even just the last two lines.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 1:18 PM on June 13

These are all wonderful, thank you. And pocams, I can't believe I didn't think about Shel Silverstein. I think that's exactly what I'm looking for. Brilliant.
posted by shiu mai baby at 8:33 PM on June 13