In my neighborhood here in Northeast Portland, someone has put together a Wishing Tree. The tree is full of small nails, and there are two clipboards, one explaining the concept and the other holding a plastic baggie full of cardstock tags and a permanent marker. The idea is to take a tag, write your wish on it, and hang your wish on one of the nails.
I’ve been stopping by the tree for months, just to check in on the wishes, but I’ve been meaning to take some time and snap photos of the tree. Today, my wife and I were out for a walk, and we had the camera with us so I could snap photos of Jennifer for her style blog, and the sun was out and the day was winter-chill perfect, and I figured now was the time to photograph the tree.
As I walked around the tree reading tags and snapping photos, I realized this was something I wanted to share with you, friendly readers. So here you are. Wishes hung to spin in the breeze.
I wish for an elehant in my dream — Archer 3yrI wish for Mayowa’s husband to get a great job in Plano. (TX?)I wish for a great love to enter my life. And love for all to receive. // I am wishing for my family’s heath, safety & happiness & sobriety & to move to a great new place w/ W/D & yard // I wish a pony for everyone. 🙂I wish for Nick to love me forever. …And a dog.peace ❤ // I wish for the courage to do these things I can’t seem to do and to feel surrounded by friends as I do it. xoxo // I wish for another baby.I wish I could be Spider-Man.I wish for grandpa to smile down on us from heaven this holiday season & to know he is dearly missed. ❤I wish that no one smoked and everyone had a home. // I wish for everyone to love unconditionally.I wish for good health for my whole family.I wish for a full recovery for Jim (we need him in our lives!)I wish for no bullying ever again! — Shyann age 13I wish all your wishes come true! Love this idea.
I write fiction and teach college writing and literature. I'm the author of the story collection There Is No Other Way to Worship Them, the novel Hagridden, and the flash fiction chapbooks Box Cutters and Where There Is Ruin.
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Samuel Snoek-Brown 
i wanna start one!!!!!!
Do it!
I’ve been pinning my poems to random trees for some time. 🙂
By the way, Sam, two things:
Firstly, Paul, my agent, sent me a Box Cutters photo because he doesn’t have your email address. I can’t find it either.
Secondly ‘The Everywhen Angels’ is now available on Amazon. 🙂
Sorry for using the comment thread for correspondence.
M
Hurray! I’ve been meaning to put together a new post of pix. I’ll email you.
And good to know about The Everywhen Angels!
PS: You’re in Scotland. I meant to write in this post how much the wishing tree reminded me of the clootie tree I saw in Scotland. 🙂