IF I CAPTURED A PAPPUS

Hannah Pattenden

If I caught a parachute carrying dandelion seeds
And held it closed tight in my hand
It’d never find the place in the grass it needs;
In willing my wishes, it’d never land.
If I captured a pappus, I must soon let it go,
Mustn’t be a restraint and mistake myself for a shield,
Must grant it the freedom to find someplace safer to grow –
Those gone before must be preparing the field.
Dance along the winds invisible to me
And flourish somewhere new;
I do not know where your refuge will be
Or how long before I see you
But this much I know, I’ll spare you a prayer
Each time I see a dandelion ballerina in the air