Before dawn,
I pick you up,
then bring you closer.
My fingers slowly roll
over your body,
removing seeds attached to you,
free them into the air.
I hear you sigh
as if breezes swirl at the bottom
of mountains. Through wheels
of twilight, I see you naked and fresh.
A shadow, and now a thin split cocoon,
your face opens to the sky,
then turns to me, shivering in joy.
A short and poignant poem, stretching out a brief moment of beauty.
- What senses are engaged in this poem?
- How would you describe the narrator’s attitude in this poem?
- How do you think this short poem explores big feelings?
- What do you think the significance is of referring to the dandelion in the second-person?
- Because of the brevity of this poem, what are two important things to keep in mind when reciting it?
Writing Activity
Write a poem no longer than two stanzas—consisting of no more than seven lines each—that explores a brief moment having to do with the natural world. This can be an experience with a plant, an animal, or maybe even the weather.
Useful Links
- Anna Lin’s blog post on League of Canadian Poets for National Poetry Month 2020: https://poets.ca/anna-yin-npm20/
- A review of Inhaling the Silence: Poem, the book in which “Picking Up a Dandelion” is from: https://www.clarion-journal.com/clarion_journal_of_spirit/2013/06/review-of-anna-yins-inhaling-the-silence-by-ron-dart.html
Anna Yin, "Picking Up a Dandelion" from Inhaling the Silence. Copyright © 2013 by Anna Yin. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
Source: Inhaling the Silence (Anna Yin / Mosaic Press, 2013)