DANDELIONS

If nothing ever changed; there would be no butterflies

 

Dandelions

I wish people would watch where they are going

But it's hard to navigate around these narrow sidewalks

 

If they would just simply accept me

I'll trade and move across the street

Where there's much space to wiggle

and not be confined on this parched,

precarious concrete crack

 

Not much rain this year either

Yet thank God, I managed to bloom !

But it was damaged and trampled

not once, not twice but a hundred times over

 

I wish people would watch where they are stepping

Nevertheless, I might still,

still attract some prospects this summer

 

I hear again the laughter of daisies and tulips

across that well manicured lawn

 Where monsoons come almost regularly,

everyday from the ground

 

No wonder butterflies and bees congregate there

The grass is greener and their flowers

are more vibrant and sweeter

 

Then out of the blue, you came

Fluttering in your most gorgeous

gossamer wings

And you graze my flower...

by Neil ArandA  05/02/2014

 

 

Author's Note

Whether you love them or hate them, dandelions are among the most familiar plants in the world.
They're one species that just about anyone can identify at a glance, as familiar to humans as the dog. Dandelions are, quite possibly, the most successful and resilient plants that exist, masters of survival worldwide.

Nowadays, they're also the most unpopular plant in the neighborhood – but it wasn't always that way. Only in the twentieth century did humans decide that the dandelion was a weed before the invention of lawns.

Butterflies and bees by nature aren't really attracted to dandelions. Their flowers are minute and don't hold enough nectar for sustenance and honey production.

Words and thoughts inspired by Kalypso ...

Reviews

[Ghost of Jupiter]

This is beautiful Neil, I love it! It is a shame that people do not watch where they are stepping and trample over the most sensitive souls... leaving dirty footsteps all over their hearts. You have captured the sadness of the forlorn... the loneliness of the outcasted...yet gave them the light of hope that even those cast aside are treasures in the eye of a butterfly.

[NeiL ArandA]

Thanks K that you finally read it . The last stanza and line really said it all. There are some selected people or person that God brings into our life who reach out and reach down to us and touches our heart with their friendship and kindness. At last you have finally graze my piece !

[Ghost of Jupiter]

I am sorry I was so late to read this amazing poem Neil... I will flutter by more often, :)

[NeiL ArandA]

You are free to flutter and soar and return as often as you please ... fly away my sweet and lovely friend

[Ghost of Jupiter]

I think I am going to rest my wings in a safe place for a while... perhaps I will find some shelter for the winds have carried me to dark lands. I need the sun again... Thank you for being a ray of hope, Friend. xo

[NeiL ArandA]

As I see you soar the heavens once more.. I too find myself free ... Let me know if you need a lift from the sparrow :)

[Ghost of Jupiter]

haha... well the sparrow is always welcome to lend a feathered hand ... my soaring is off kilter these days.

[Ghost of Jupiter]

just revisiting this lovely piece.... :)

[NeiL ArandA]

Oh that was so sweet of you my friend . I saw you got some new one too.

[Ghost of Jupiter]

umm yeah maybe since you last visited ... not sure how many... don't worry about reading them, they are nothing but little musings.

[NeiL ArandA]

waiting for your next visit

[Ghost of Jupiter]

I silently visit this one often...flutter in and flutter out without a sound... it is a lovely spot to rest weary wings. Next time I will leave my mark on a petal so you know I have been by. :) much love xoxox

[NeiL ArandA]

Don't stop writing K

[Pax]

Upon finishing reading this, I went back to my review about the weeds. Yes Dandelion is a certain type of weed, that goes and roam the lands in their free nature. Perhaps in me, I believed that a weed has a free spirited nature.

“If they would just simply accept me”

This particular line struck many cords in my being and to whomever read this. I guess all in some way or the other we would feel not accepted in society or family or in a crowd, there are various reason to why, I can only view a few; Like its either a matter of personal perception or an impression that is wrongly viewed or you simply didn’t suites to a person’s personal taste of appearance or attitude. Perhaps that is why we as a community or a group there will be atleast one or a group of persons would stand-out or be left-out. Either way it’s part of how our own personal taste becomes who we are and how unique are we from the other. If someone or a group of people didn’t accept me, I am sure there are others will. Because I always believe about this saying: “You can never please everybody”. With that thought, If I don’t fit in anyone’s standards, then it’s not my problem, we please those who believes in us, not those who didn’t a single bit.

-I wish people would watch where they are going-
-I wish people would watch where they are stepping-

Me too, how I wish that’s applicable to all or applicable to all situations, but sadly it isn’t. Not all people were shown the path of the light or taught by rich old wisdom. Some of us walks upon in the darker edge of the road, that is why some people doesn’t really care who they step upon. Some are just good enough to take careful notice or barely not notice at all whomever they’ve stepped upon. I guess what I am saying is, we can never judge easily on why a person didn’t see the destruction or effects to where they walk upon. Because I know there is reason to everything we do or act upon. All I could say is that we must be considerate first and then well know.

The ending was nice, I like it, and I was reading the authors note about: “Butterflies and bees by nature aren't really attracted to dandelions.” I watch this documentary about plant on how they think. I learned that by instinct plants do whatever is necessary for them to live, like us they learned to adapt, they learned to defend themselves or how to attract pollinators to them. So I guess dandelion found a way or learned how to attract pollinators.

Also this piece led me to think on why we segregate ourselves from other blooming town, or why we live a different life, alone in the road full of strollers, or why we live such indifference.

---“maybe because some choices we’ve made leads to this path, either for us to learned something the hard way or to experience life and leave more room for growth in due time. Either way our endurance and survival are based on how we strive to live, love, adapt, cope & hope.”

Also this piece reminds me how we humans create such destructive path toward nature, leaving them breathless & some going extinct because of habitat lost and deforestation… and How humans live without careful watch that some of our processing technologies are depleting our natural resources. So in this perspective, we as humans forget to be considerate and be watchful on what we took or step upon. I guess all of us learned our lesson the hard way and sometimes it becomes too late for us to even realized what we’ve done.

I hope I am making sense here, lol, so glad I came by and read this wonderful piece my friend, and it’s been several months I haven’t written a much longer review like this, thanks for sharing a thought provoking piece, yet again…

This piece talks about human nature and the beauty of nature combine together in a harmonious poetry. Very expressive piece…. Saved to faves!

[NeiL ArandA]

I have seen once again your sharp edged review Pax. It took me a while to reply to this for I don't have a words to muster at the time I saw your comments. Indeed Pax, the life we live on this earth is not always fair. The grace and kindness of God is not fair. He lavish one plant so much and He deprived the other on the other hand. Sometimes we don't know why or can't explain it . But its all about how do we always responds to what have been handed down to us. Your introspection upon this piece is much much deeper than what I first intend to express. But inspite of our predicament. There are always some selected few touched by God Himself that will always have compassion and stoop lowly to relate to us and see us for who we are. Affluence sometimes is not an ideal catalyst to build and mold desirable godly character. Thanks for your awesome review Pax. Hey don't worry about mental or writers block. I have had that for a long time and just like you I focus on reviewing other poets piece to keep my mind occupied until inspiration comes.

[Pax]

"He lavish one plant so much and He deprived the other on the other hand."

ahh, that's what i saw or seen myself, I always thought my friend that God's hand is too busy or too full, but despite that I am keeping my hopes intact, as i go down the road full of cracks... :)

hey, no worries my friend, its great reflecting on such piece of yours... you are much welcome...

[Frieda P]

Many layers to peel here, I love butterflies, and I've always been intrigued by dandelions, so you had me there already but your stunning poetry won me over....simply beautiful.

[Sami Khalil]

Wow. This was indeed vibrant and sweeter than honey.
"I hear again the laughter of daisies and tulips
across that well manicured lawn
Where monsoons come almost regularly,
everyday from the ground"

I'm still taking in th beauty of your words and descriptions...Excellent...:)..........................

[Kelly Scheppers]

I am delighted to have come across this today...a truly magnificent piece of work!

My best,
Kelly

[NeiL ArandA]

Kelly thank you that you find this piece interesting. I will return the favor .

[Rachelle]

Non-toxic, edible, vitamin-packed and reputed to be an herbal cure-all - all from a humble little plant. Who are the dandelions in our lives? Overlooked, unrecognized and yet thriving in the most unlikely circumstances. But therein lies the humility and potency of souls who can thrive in the most adverse of conditions and produce something that might be needed at some point in time.
Character lies within.

[NeiL ArandA]

You nailed that and right on target . The best and most expensive violin in the world were made and hand crafted by Salvatori. Only selected few were made . The sound they produce were unrivaled and cannot be duplicated by any similar instrument . The true secret lies in the material and place and location of where the wood was harvested . The woods were taken from the highest and steepest alps high above the mountains where the trees were subjected to adverse weather inclement and elements producing and causing a different density in wood patterns and structure brought about by adverse condition . Good time doesn't always brings out the best in us . Same way a calm sea doesn't produce a skillful sailor .

Thanks for the read .....

[Benita-Staebell M - Kin..]

Simply beautiful I love Dandelions.


Loved these stanza's lines here.
Then out of the blue, you came

Fluttering in your most gorgeous

gossamer wings

And you graze my flower...


thank you for sharing. blessings. kindred poet

[NeiL ArandA]

Wow thank you Ms Kindred Poet that you have graze my piece. I will return the favor and kindness you rendered me..

[Benita-Staebell M - KindredPoet]

you're very welcome. blessings. kindred poet

[Aethereal]

More poems should be written about these glorious dandelions. Where I live, dandelions represent the main food source for hundreds of bee hives. Hundreds of pounds of dandelion honey are produced each year. Dandelions are also edible. Without dandelions, Nature would be out of balance. One reason for the decrease in the bee population is the use of chemicals that kill this honey bee's food source. Dandelions are allowed to grow on my lawn, and my neighborhood bees thank me for it. Be kind to the bees.

[NeiL ArandA]

Thank you Aethereal for finding this piece worthy of your time and attention.

[Aethereal]

Most people have no idea why I don't destroy my lawn's dandelions with chemicals as they do.

[NeiL ArandA]

They are flowers too once we get to know them ...and we teach them how to grow in rows :)

[gabrielle]

This poem made me think of the courage of child, left on the street to fend off for himself. Hardship would be less painful if someone has shown compassion and care just like what the butterfly did to the dandelion. The last stanza is my favorite as it talk about hope.

[NeiL ArandA]

First I love your new avatar . Thanks Gab for your insightful take on my piece . You are right on the ball with what you draw here . How sweet to the soul are those people that doesn't turn ablind eye and a deaf ear to people who have been looked down and marginalized by our society . Always enjoy your presence my sweet friend .

[gabrielle]

Welcome Neil. There are many interpretations that could be drawn from your poem. Thank you for appreciating a "vintage pic" =)

[NeiL ArandA]

Not vintage ..timeless perhaps . Yes so many you can still draw .