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

Illinois Times has provided readers with independent journalism for almost 50 years, from news and politics to arts and culture.

Your support will help cover the costs of editorial content published each week. Without local news organizations, we would be less informed about the issues that affect our community..

Click here to show your support for community journalism.

Got something to say?

Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!

Comments (0)
Add a Comment