Yesterday was a busy day. School, then coffee with a friend, then SCBWI Zoom meeting. By the time I finished, it was 7:30 and the chicken needed to be cooked…So, I forgot to look for a photo until early this morning. Somehow, somewhere one always turns up. It took a while for me to settle on this one. I borrowed it from Kim Douillard’s Instagram feed. I’ll ask for forgiveness later. But I was attracted to the hopefulness of a single dandelion. I think we are all ready for some sign of spring to come.
Wish Flower
Before the mower mows,
a yellow flower grows.Before the winds of March,
fluffy seedlings spark.Before the child blows,
the wish already knows.Margaret Simon, draft
Please leave a small poem in the comments and encouraging words for other writers. Thanks for stopping by.
Reflections on the Teche 
Great photo choice, Margaret. I used to love to make a wish and blow the dandelion fluff–until Dad caught me spreading seeds on his lawn!
Dandelion
Holds wishes,
Ready to
Spring.
Jane Heitman Healy, draft
“ready to spring ” is a perfect line!
Love the double meaning of spring!
Jane, love “ready to Spring”!
Jane, I also love “Ready to spring.”
Thank you so much, everyone!
I’m going to drop a poem from last year’s Poetry Month project. One of my favorites from April 2022:
THE DANDELIONS ARE WAKING UP
The dandelions are waking up
They’re stirring in their sleep
They stretch their spiky arms up high
And dream of green and gold and sky.
The dandelions are waking up
They’re waiting for more sun
So they can bloom and spread and seed
Not knowing some think they’re a weed.
The dandelions are waking up
A hopeful little flower
Reminding me that like the grass
Our work done best, is done en masse.
© Mary Lee Hahn, 2022
Love the repetition!
My student reminded me that I’ve posted dandelions before. It seems to be a poetic subject. I love “the dandelions are waking up.”
Yay, bring on these lovely ray filled “hopeful little flower,” thanks for sharing again Mary Lee!
Good for my brain on this grey day with “hopeful little flower”!
Mary Lee, I love your personification, your rhyme, and that your title is your refrain. I am especially drawn to this line “They stretch their spiky arms up high.” I can see your imagery.
I love this Mary Lee! I can imagine students acting this one out, and it contains good life lessons, too.
dandelion waits
for wishes to whirl—
nature’s disco ball
For anyone looking for a related picture book – Dandy by Ame Dyckman/Charles Santoso and Doe’s Dandelions by Lauren Renauld/Jennie Poh (this one doesn’t publish until March 7)
Thanks, Margaret!
Disco ball! Ha! Thanks for the book suggestions.
Your “disco ball” perfectly describes the exuberance in the pic- I feel the anticipation ready to spread!
Rose, the “disco ball” is so wonderful a description for this perfect little dandelion; it’s so rare to find one so completely undisturbed and “whole”.
Rose, I love you alliteration, personification, and I especially love “nature’s disco ball.” Wow-perfect metaphor!
Oh, Rose! I will never unsee a dandelion’s seed head as a disco ball!
Avalyn said, “I already have a poem about a dandelion.” And she did. And it’s perfect!
A wishing flower?
Great come to me!
You look like a spider web… but it doesn’t bother me.
You can make anything come true.
And that is why everyone loves you!
Sweet!
Avalyn, I love how you speak to the dandelion. It makes your poem come alive. Thank you for sharing.
That is sweet!
I love “wishes to whirl” and “ready to spring”. And the idea of work done en masse is interesting. Here is mine:
A slender stalk
standing proud
displays its own
creation
this perfect globe
so fragile, white
a tender
celebration
— Karen Eastlund
I love the rhythm and sounds in this poem – creation, celebration
Karen, love the image of a “tender celebration”!
Love the accidental rhyme of slender and tender. A perfect globe.
Karen, I love the sounds of your poem when read aloud-your alliteration, consonance, rhyme, and voice all work together so well. I see your imagery.
Karen, what a lovely rhyme, gentle yet bursting with joy
Yes, I love disco ball also… and wishing flower. 🙂
Lovely, your poem endears the dandelion with such proud, though delicate in structure, dignity!
Appreciations for this inviting pic and your lovely anticipating poem Margaret! I’m so eager for Spring and have been collecting small signs, but know we still have months to go… Your poem and the pic were wonderful to wake to!
LOOK IT’S SPRING!
Spring I’m here
With starlit eyes
With starlit pride
I’m alive
Ready to spread seeds
Far and wide
Before all eyes
I’m alive
Bring your wishes
Inhale deep
Spread spring
Before all eyes!
Michelle Kogan. draft
This makes me want to go out and look for dandelions so I can spread spring, too.
Michelle, I love the imagery of the dandelion’s “starlit eyes”!
I love your first stanza with starlit eyes and starlit pride!
Michelle, I love your voice, rhyme, assonance, and repetition of lines. I love how your poem comes alive so well when read aloud and I love all the sounds.
I like the repetition and the word “starlit”
Love “spring’s” double action-meaning too!
Margaret, I love your couplets and your leading us to wonder about “before.”
Margaret, what a great photo you picked out of Kim’s pics. I love your poem’s rhyme, rhythm, repetition, alliteration, consonance, and I especially love your last line “the wish already knows”, which brings emotion.
When I first looked at the perfect seed head, I thought of when my girls were young, and they like to blow the seeds. I had already written about the girls blowing the seed heads. Next, I thought of my grandparents, who used dandelion greens in cooking. I think I mentioned to you before that my grandfather made golden wine from the yellow petals. Here’s my draft.
Memories
I smell garlic, olive oil, tomatoes.
my mouth waters
remembering the sweet, spicy taste
of Grandma and Grandpa’s
meatballs stuffed with dandelion greens
served with marinara and pasta.
Gail Aldous draft
Smells bring back such wonderful memories!