“The Rule of Dew & Tiny Parachutes” by Lana Hechtman Ayers, published in When All Else Fails, released in May 2023, has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Please enjoy the poem, and feel free to leave a comment.
The Rule of Dew & Tiny Parachute
by Lana Hechtman Ayers
When I was a child, my father waged war
against the dandelions in the lawn,
a battle I never fathomed,
thinking their yellow spirals sunny,
their fancy geometric lace even better
when my breath would launch airborne
their heads of fluff gone to seed—
a million tiny parachutes up into sky.
But for Daddy, a carpet of unbroken green
meant he lived in a world where rules
were obeyed and everything made better for it.
The eye is the window to the world
of other and self,
and a dew drop
is a crystal ball on a small scale.
When I looked into its invisible oracle
on a blade of grass
I witnessed a bead of knowledge
in a language that has no words but wonder.
from When All Else Fails by Lana Hechtman Ayers (The Poetry Box, 2023)
nominated for The Pushcart Prize by Shawn Aveningo Sanders, editor/publisher
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