Thursday, March 27, 2014

DANDELIONS ARE WORTH THEIR GOLD

Dear Ones,

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.