Dandelion Bliss

The poet Wordsworth loved daffodils
“Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”
However, he ignored dandelions
Forcing their way through cracks in sidewalks,
Fighting through winter ravaged soil,
And decorating green lawns  
Like bulbs on a Christmas tree.

Dandelions promise spring
As they lift their dazzling faces to the sun.
They ARE the sun—round with beams of shining gold.

Children delight in joining together
The hollow stems to make water fountains.
Later, with pursed lips, they blow the seed puffballs
And watch them float skyward as they make a wish.

They defy our digging.
They acquire biological resistance
To annihilation by pesticides.
They rebound after amputation by steel mower blades.
They thrive in burning deserts
And pop up in mountain snowfields.

Why do we dislike these familiar blooms
That could comfort and reassure us?
Let’s learn to love the yellow carpet
They try to make for us each spring,
Enjoy the luxurious spread.
And know that if we do,
Bees and butterflies also will be forever grateful.