You believed only a girl born of dandelion can be ferocious –

Copyright © 2024 by Purvi Shah. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on June 12, 2024, by the Academy of American Poets. 

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“Who knew dandelions select when it’s time to disperse—or not? One day, I stumbled upon an article, ‘Engineers uncover secret ‘thinking’ behind dandelions’ seed dispersal,’ where bioengineer Dr. Naomi Nakayama shares research on dandelion biomechanics. She notes, ‘We reveal how the dandelion ensures the survival of its species by making perhaps the most important decision in a plant’s life—to stay or go seek a better habitat.’ I came to the U.S. as a young girl: in this poem, I visualize the complexities of gender constraints alongside the will to soar and bloom.”
—Purvi Shah