The Daisy & The Dandelion
An impossible love story.
She lived alone in a meadow tucked between green blades of grass, yellow buttercups, and bluebonnets. A princess bride in the making, her hair shown golden in the sunshine, crowned with a white wedding veil. She had her friends and protectors. The high-minded red-tailed hawk and the slovenly black crow did not think highly of one another and had nothing in common except for their love of the daisy. Those two birds were crazy about that fragile flower. And they let it be known throughout the valley that even the wind should only gently whistle around their princess.
They called her Lady Daisy.
High on the hill, closer to where God and the birds shared perch, sat another who had an eye for Lady Daisy. Tough and well-rooted in the rocky soil, the dandelion sported a majestic yellow mane. Neither harsh rainstorm nor chilly night could diminish his regalness. He stood as proud as a king over a kingdom. The high-minded red-tailed hawk and the slovenly black crow called him Dandy.
On days when the clouds moved off, turning the blue sky bluer, Lady Daisy glimpsed Dandy’s handsome smile all the way from the deep valley floor. And when the sun was just right, and the shadows obeyed, Dandy could see Lady Daisey’s pretty face, even from upon high. They both wore pride and loneliness well. So well that both pride and loneliness looked equally enviable to all creatures, flora, and fauna alike.
Pride and loneliness looked like love because it was.
But like most of the other flowers from valley floor to hilltop, their love remained unrequited. Unrequited, that was, until one day, the boot of a dimwitted teenage boy kicking up divots along the fragile high grasses unearthed Dandy from his throne. In one unceremonious and unbefitting dig of the toe, the boy’s boot lifted the dandelion roots and all from the dirt and into the careless boy’s hands. The trip down the hill proved nothing short of humiliating. Dandy’s mane nearly disintegrated, his royal gallantry reduced to a commoner’s fear.
As the high-mountain meadow disappeared behind him, the dandelion knew that if that kid put him in his jacket pocket, he would be done for forever. But there was an upside to Dandy’s downhill slide. Lady Daisy always stood for what might have been. And for her, dandy stood untouchable until that kid kicked him up and tossed him away, down in the valley, between the green blades of grass, yellow buttercups, and bluebonnets.
He arrived unconscious, battered, and bruised. But awoke with his head upon the shoulder of no other than Lady Daisy.
Sometimes a dream comes true on the back of a nightmare.
And sometimes the impossible becomes possible because of dumb luck, otherwise known as living your life.
Lady Daisy and Dandy made the most out of a chance. Their love and their roots took hold, her white, his gold, together at last.
The red-tailed hawk and the slovenly black crow circled away, no longer needing to protect their sweet Daisy. Honeybees buzzed in a frenzy. Red roses dropped pedals in envy, and even the sunflowers were crying for the daisy and the dandelion.
Based on the song by Mark Elliott & Linda McRae:
The Daisy and The Dandelion
She opens her eyes as the sun starts to rise
With a smile for all the lovers and friends
Buttercups bow, and the clover surrounds this lady
Lady Daisy
Up on the hill where the wind blows a chill
Standing up proud as a king
The lonely hours in love with a flower
This dandy, dandy lion
It’s an age-old story of heartbreak and glory
Where love in the end finds a way
Oh the bees all a-frenzy, the red roses envy
And even the sunflowers are crying
For the daisy and the dandy lion
He never thought it would happen till some kid came and picked him
And dropped him way down in the field
Their roots took a hold, her white, his gold together forever
It’s an age-old story of heartbreak and glory
Where love in the end finds a way
Oh the bees all a-frenzy, the red roses envy
And even the sunflowers are crying
For the daisy and the dandy lion
Oh the bees all a-frenzy, the red roses envy
And even the sunflowers are crying
For the daisy and the dandy lion
for the daisy and the dandy lion
I would love to hear what you thought about this story and song and if it brought any personal memories or stories to mind. Please feel free to leave a comment. I’ll answer all of them. I would love to strike up a conversation about this piece and your thoughts. Please consider sharing this newsletter with a friend. Thank you. - Mark
Wow -your writings never cease to amaze me Mark!!! I Absolutely loved this piece! It reminds me of the innocents of youth. I'm SURE in my really younger days - I was the boy in this story.....as well age - gracefully I might say.....our outlooks on - and appreciation for the simplest things in life change. And, I certainly think it's for the better. Just wanna say I so enjoyed this piece - especially in the utter chaos of the world today. Thank YOU!
Sweet story..for some reason reminded me of the Princess Bride...loved the imagery.