Dandelions by Melissa Lam

November 22, 2023
Poem title: Dandelions Poet name: Melissa Lam Poem: we come empty-handed to Poh Poh’s grave but the fields are not, yellow heads dotting green, not yet plucked by mowers, by children’s fingers save the ones my son picks - ten, fifteen bunches them together, places them in the cup here, to her stone, for you. my husband gently guides our son away. give Umma a moment. i fidget. play with my ring. this is how you’ll meet: my son running around a graveyard. your name transcribed boldly on a stone. that we will not feel your thin skin, hold your gentle hands. i stand wordless, hoping you can somehow hear what I cannot say aloud to the vast expanse of dandelions. when we leave my son is disappointed. but i wanted to see her. i pick him up, feel his head rest on the nook of my neck. me too End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Melissa Lam Previously published in Emerge 23: The Writer’s Studio Anthology, 2023. Melissa Lam is a second-generation Canadian. Born in Toronto, she now lives on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, also known as Vancouver, where she writes, teaches, and gardens with her husband and son.