Dandelion Wishes by Samantha Harris
In you drifted
Eyed upon the kitchen top
Decided a wish I’d drop
I held you gently
Wished out loud
Outside I put you
Swiftly back in you flew
A second chance
For less selfish a wish
I hold you gently
Relocate thee
Place you out
My wish I did shout
Instantly I wished you returned
For pride in me still burned
I could have wished for more
You float away…
I’d wished for me
I wish for family
Dandelion if you could repeat
There is one wish left to complete
Please keep safe all that be
As well as my family and me.
The end.
Written 9th August 2020
Watford, Hertfordshire.
England, United Kingdom of the British Isles
Rather sweet as it strikes me Samantha! I have seen in recent years fields full of Dandelions which to that magnitude and quantity have a powerful appeal! This idea of a solitary one brings to mind a gentle sensitivity quality inherent in them that I hadn’t thought about. I digress here to say that one of the first things that comes to my mind when I think about Dandelions is how my grandfather would harvest some of them from the large turf areas on his farm so he could add the leaves to his salad. He and my grandmother said they were quite nutritious to eat, but, I never waned them, fussy kid I guess. Most poignant though, I never read any poem about them so this is a first, and, after reading this very nice one of yours; I’m glad I never ate them!
The leaves are medicinal especially for bladder health.As children we were told not to pick them as they’d make us wet the bed. But also when they are about to germinate and spread seed they form a ball of fairy lightness which we were told if you made a wish and sent it up in the air the wish would come true as long as it fall back to the ground in your vision. I live at the top of a tower block so one seed ball managed to make it up to me on the 16th floor! It deserved the poem. Thank you for your kind words and tale of your grandparents- they sound like hardy, earthy and wise characters.
Tremendous! Of course I agree; an inspiration to offer this poem, such an amazing little thing the Dandelion! Some power in there for sure and the name carries that fact apparently, Dande-Lion!
Yes, you reminded me of those medicinal properties and something to keep in mind for the future perhaps. Making a wish I hadn’t heard of as being an alternate use or property but I will try it sometime, I can always use a wish, be a fool not to take it! Yes, my grandparents were all very earthy, good, hardworking, honest, and faithful people; in so many ways beyond me in Character, though some of it did rub off on me luckily! I just figure we newer generations can never measure up to the old timers in many ways.
Thank you for this interesting update on Dandelions!