I saw dandelion clocks all blown to stems and, in these winds, who can blame them? But among the lions’ teeth, one remained, still holding on to its constellation of wishes. I wondered what had become of mine. Have they all blown away on the trade winds of great expectations denied, or I if close my eyes and blow, do I get one last chance to turn the moon into stars?
The Tideline
I took myself off in our motorhome for a self-initiated writing retreat recently, making sure that I made time for walking, running and paddleboarding to give my mind the chance to wander (and wonder!). I came across lots of dandelion clocks and enjoyed playing with their etymology and symbolism in this poem. The word ‘dandelion’ comes from the French ‘dente de lion’, for lion’s tooth after the shape of their leaves and, in their various forms, they are thought to represent the sun (in flower), the moon (in their full ‘clock’ form) and the stars (when their seeds disperse).
I am a spoken word poet, a craft, design and sustainability writer, and a nature-informed coach and facilitator – and I have got a few copies of my book Broken: Mending and Repair in a Throwaway World in my studio at the moment. If you’d like me to sign one for you and pop it in the post, you can make that happen here »»
You can find my other books here and follow me on Instagram here.