my young daughters picked
dandelion heads on a sunny slope
dappled with yellow we stirred
the blooms into a crock of water
added sugar floated on top
a slice of toast smeared with
yeast and let it all bubble
odiferously in our dining room
for a couple weeks I bottled
the dandelion wine gave it
for gifts nobody liked it but
the kids gradually drank the
dregs stashed in the basement
where with friends they enacted
regularly a drama they called
“schoolboys” they took turns
being the cruel headmistress
who for punishment forced the
drink down their throats the
game eventually ended maybe
when the spirits were finally spent
dandelion heads on a sunny slope
dappled with yellow we stirred
the blooms into a crock of water
added sugar floated on top
a slice of toast smeared with
yeast and let it all bubble
odiferously in our dining room
for a couple weeks I bottled
the dandelion wine gave it
for gifts nobody liked it but
the kids gradually drank the
dregs stashed in the basement
where with friends they enacted
regularly a drama they called
“schoolboys” they took turns
being the cruel headmistress
who for punishment forced the
drink down their throats the
game eventually ended maybe
when the spirits were finally spent
