The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Birthday Wish

When blowing out the candles
On my birthday cake
I could wish for a better world
But what wish will I make?

I could wish for peace on Earth,
I could wish love for all,
The icing does look tasty,
It’s a shame the cake’s so small.

I could wish wealth for all my friends,
I guess that would be nice,
Hmmm, when I share this cake
I’ll only get a tiny slice.

So, blowing out the candles
What wish will I make?
I know! I’ll wish next birthday
For a bigger birthday cake.

About the Writer


Philip Waddell

Philip lives in a friendly Oxfordshire village close to Thame. He studied Biochemistry and Microbiology a long time ago and had a variety of jobs but is now retired. Born in Guyana he has lived in various countries and has always enjoyed traveling. Since the 90s his poems for children have appeared in dozens of anthologies and he has produced two collections for children with his friend, performing poet Ian Bland.