Would you make a wish with a gallbladder?

Nights of Wishes

Poem by Zerayn D.

Oh, mystery of wishes, what do they bring?
you can wish upon a full moon beholding,
you can wish upon bright floating candles,
you can wish upon a swarm of fireflies,
you can wish upon amber lanterns,
you can wish upon a shooting star,
perhaps make a wish upon auroras afar,
or upon a genie from a mysterious lamp.

Far distance in the dark of night, a secret rite unfolds,
a chant, a hearth, and mystical flames so bold,
a sacrificial offering, a creature has gone adrift,
whose flesh and bones discarded, leaving a gallbladder sacred
in the flickering firelight, I sit and wonder,
“Will their wishes come true?”
for the mystical flames may bring good or woe,
but the promise of a wish, who can say no?

in the dark of night, I ponder this quandary
who will grant all these wishes without having to tarry?

A genie is a character that does not exist in our local literature. I first heard of this when I watched “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” as a child. We also read about it in “1001 Arabian Nights” during literature class. It’s not my favorite piece of literature. I prefer Persian proverbs and poetry.

On the other hand, our ancient culture have means of making wishes through ritualistic offerings. You can either offer a whole chicken or a pig. As part of the procedure, elder men will perform a gallbladder reading to determine one’s fate.
So, I’m not sure about making wish to a genie. I think it is an element  whose identity is undefined as a being or a force. If I have to ask wishes, I need to know who is enacting it.

The Gallbladder’s Prediction Parade: Perspectives on Faith, Superstition, and Destiny

Culture, Christianity and Perspectives “Pidis”, the Gallbladder’s Oracle: Animal Omens “Ibangon yo issa! (Wake up, now!)”, yelled my mom waking us up early in the morning. Innovative alarm like this would surely bring you to your feet. “Ingkayo pakanen manok! (Go and feed the chickens!)”, announced my dad following our alarm. Growing up in the…

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by Zerayn D. July 19, 2024June 30, 2025