My eight year-old son can’t believe his luck.
That there are just 
“all of these coins left in this fountain.”
He easily fishes them out.
He’s recently become curious about money
and where it comes from. 
I’m afraid this is sending him
the wrong message.
I’m also worried about all those wishes.
Will they still come true?
I feel silly for even thinking that.
I would feel really silly 
saying that to my son, 
who might think, as it now stands,
that one obtains money from fountains.

I am desperate for one of those signs
that are on some fountains that say
these coins are collected for charity.
Then I could tell my son to leave the coins
for the kids with glaucoma or something.

My son is really raking it in at this point. 
His wet little hands filled with lucre.
People are starting to look.
Other kids are getting curious.
There might be a run forming on this fountain.
All I can think to tell my son
is that we have to be somewhere.

Later at home we count the money–
“Count de Monet!”
Nothing.
He’s too young for Mel Brooks jokes.
Three dollars in change.
Not bad, my little capitalist.
He is now asking for a water feature 
in front of our house. 
I didn’t expect that.
I try to explain that nobody 
would make wishes in our fountain.
He wants to know why the mall fountain 
is better for wishing 
than a fountain in our yard, 
to which 
I have nothing to say.

Check out all the work in the Collection: Occasional Verse