Dandelion Puffs for Tali

Tali runs
towards dandelion puffs
her mouth agape:
A single puff with an entire world
within.

And Good Friday’s gust
strips the stem
leave a bare uprooted
-lone tree
-standing out around petals
of spring.

Tali’s tears dry as mama shows
her where hope
can be found:
In all those seeds
up there
-carried on the breath
of spring,
wherever it wills.

Good Friday’s tree
stripped bare
its seed fallen to earth.
Yet the seed
still sails through
our universe,
–and no fence or wall,
–no army or ammo,
–nor silence or need

can mar the spreading
eternal golden glory.

-Charity Johnson, spring 2011,Virginia; 2014