unreasonable wishes

i wished for the stars to cycle slowly,
for time to to run at a lower speed,
for the dragon waiting round the corner
to have leaden feet and leaden wings.

the faces on the wall look on me sternly,
what their eyes see I cannot know
for all my asking, they remain silent
that light has passed beyond the reach of time.

i cannot learn the things that the trees know
or take these books and turn them into wisdom
without a strain almost beyond my powers
held by the clay and halted by the rain.