Dandelions Are Sneaky!

Over the past eight months, since my retirement from elementary education, I have really enjoyed REIMAGINING (my #OneWord for 2024) myself. Part of that has included jumping head first into improving my craft writing picture books.

Although the path to attaining an agent and learning all about the traditional publishing world has a rather steep learning curve, there have been gems along the way.

One is the amount of support and opportunity from the #KidLit community including many fun and informative writing contests, the other is connecting with other children's writers, like my wonderful critique partners!

After recently spending the afternoon with my granddaughter, watching her partake in a common time-honored childhood tradition, I decided to enter the #SpringFlingKidLit Contest hosted by Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Ciara O'Neal. This fun contest asks writers to craft a 150-word story based on a spring-related GIF.

​Hope you enjoy! (And can relate! Haha!)

via GIPHY

Dandelions Are Sneaky!

I run to the window
to see if they’re here!
They always come out
when springtime is near.

Their sweet yellow heads
now cover the lawn.
They’re just waking up
with a pollen-filled yawn.

I’ll have to wait longer--
the process proceeds
from cute yellow flower
to fluffy white seeds!

Hooray! Now it’s time!
I pick one so gently,
then stop to consider
my wishes, intently.

Selecting my favorite,
I deeply inhale.
But the bloom is too close--
an important detail!

My wish is forgotten,
I cough and I choke.
Who is that laughing?
Could this be a joke?

I scan the whole yard.
There is no one around.
Just fuzzy white flowers
all over the ground.

I pick out another
and give it a try.
I remake my wish,
blowing seeds to the sky!

So always remember
before you begin,
Dandelions are sneaky--
breathe out and not in!

Thank you so much to all the judges donating their time and prizes to this contest! Make sure you check out and support their amazing work HERE!

Been there, done that? I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment!