Always Leave a Trail of Kindness
In yellow fields of dandelions,
we’d pluck the fullest ones,
lush and bright as any flower
stretching toward the sun.
With bouquet fists and beads of sweat
To the house!
We ran
post haste.
Where Rose’s smile greeted us
And in her hand, a vase.
She’d put them on a table
Or by a window in plain sight
And tend to them in hopes they’d grow
or make it through the night.
See, dandelions may be small
And to some, they are just weeds
But to my Grandma Rose and me
They’re blessed with wishful seeds!
For when their yellow petals dry,
their heads as white as snow,
We’d pick just one, a special one
And release a
mighty
B L O W.
Our seeds would soar in wings of wind
our wish now in its care,
The love we shared, the love we sought
Now scattered
e
v
e
r
y
w
h
e
r
e.
In two weeks time, our wish would rise
Sprouts of yellow to the sky
In fields some miles from our farm,
they’d catch a child’s eye.
And through the laughter and the joy
My grandma’s wish would grow
Much bigger than the one she’d left
Those long two weeks ago.
And though the days have turned to weeks
And months have turned to years,
My grandma’s wish for everyone
Never once fell on deaf ears—
My children, be wise and listen, she’d say
For you’ll reap the seeds you sow
And always leave a trail of kindness
Everywhere you go.
So place those dandelions in a vase,
Let your brother tag along
Share your slice of grandma’s pie
Say sorry to those you wrong.
Leave a note of love and thanks
Console after a fall
Give a gift to show you care
No matter how big or small
For seeds of kindness grow along
A trail that lights the way
To love and light, a happy life
So why not start today
© 2018 Caitlin Riley
