My poem is just in time for spring.
Mames
DANDELION ARE WORTH THEIR GOLD
Helene Smith
Gazing and wondering
On one glorious spring day,
A dandelion at my feet
I ponder, I question–I dismay.
O, common, lowly dandelion
How thou hast been scorned for
years.
Neglected throughout the land,
By poets, seers and man.
Whose laud and honor is sung
To the daffodil, daisy and
alas,
A buttercup, violet, and
Even a blade of grass.
What other sprout provides all
this,
Thy fresh lion-toothed leaves
A succulent dish, olive oil
and garlic,
Such whimsical sustenance?
Blossoms lovely, yellow-golden
tufts,
Myriads of tiny, soft down
At season's end, all from the
ground,
More beautiful than ever
before.
Just as the caterpillar
Metamorphoses to the
butterfly,
So, too, dandy lions emerge
From a sun-spun glow.
Into ethereal iridescent
pleasure.
And then, as if touched by a
magic wand,
Blown to the winds and
dispersed,
By the breath of a
wonder-struck child.
Each seed finding a site anew,
To start an eternal creation
again.
What other flower so fair,
Was imagined with such godly flair?
Imbued with humor and
imagination
Yet fresh delight downgraded
as a weed.
Man's disdain, derision and
pesticide
Hurled on one tiny chicory of
perfection.
If thou had been an orchid so
rare,
Would man then decide to kill?
No! Mother nature would instead
Put man's nemesis in open
fields.
There cultivation to save the
nation,
Would become a money crop,
And produce truckloads of
dandelion pills
Man's obsessive fixation.
If thou were not so abundant,
So prolific, so pure
Thou, too, would be chosen.
Praised, exalted through
wisdom of ancients.
Nonetheless, come another
sweet spring,
I shall again gaze at blossoms
of white fur,
Each gossamer, feather-winged
seed,
Providing another stitch in a
blanket of gold.
In
this age of striving for good nutrition, every part of a dandelion perennial is
edible, but only picked in areas free of pesticides and poisonous petroleum gas
fumes. Also ask your doctor
before ingesting dandelions since prescription drugs may interfere or cause a
problem with the natural plant. After taking a course years ago from
Euell Gibbons, outdoorsman and proponent of natural diets, I learned so very
much.
First
all dandelions are chock full of vitamins A, B (12), C, D, E and K. They also
contain iron potassium, calcium, zinc and other minerals, as well as Niacin and
Riboflavin.
Dandelions
are all free for children and adults alike! Their golden blossoms can be battered and deep or stir
fried and provide an antioxidant effect.
The flowers besides serving as bouquets can also be made into a fine
golden wine. The roots make a nice tea, and it's family member, chicory with a
blue flowers, can be used as a bitter coffee.
Dandelions
are almost a panacea for all ailments. Stems provide a bitter white liquid that
relieves diabetes and gets rid of boils and warts. They may improve the immune system as the roots detoxify the
gall bladder and help liver and kidney function as a diuretic and also is a
mild laxative as it purifies the blood.
This plant can relieve asthma, gout, rheumatism, gal stones, bone
disorders, colds, skin problems, heartburn and upset stomachs. Ancient traditional Chinese medicine
recommends dandelions to cure breast problems, such as inflammation and milk
flow, as well as eye disorders.
Dandelions
grown under fruit trees aid in the fruit ripening faster, what brings in higher
profit for an early season.
