The Dandelion; My Dad and A Pair of Young Horses; The Bull.

The Dandelion       (of November 1977)

Childhood favorite,
Thing of joy
To blow the seeds
As girl or boy

Who could've known
That it would be
A symbol of hope
To self-pitying me?

One cold and bleak
November day
When leaves were gone
And skies were gray

I felt alone
And sad inside --
I thought a walk
My tears would hide

A broken heart --
My daydreams shattered
It seemed to me
That nothing mattered

I trudged along
With eyes downcast
Wond'ring how long
This mood would last

There at the base
Of an old maple tree
Was a bright yellow dot
Waiting JUST for me

A dandelion!
At this time of year!
I knew at that moment --
The answer was clear --

It was the Almighty
Saying to me
"Your life will improve!
Just wait and see.

"No matter how bad
Your troubles may seem
Things will get better --
Hold onto your dream."

I've never forgotten
How on that dark day
That small spot of color
Has caused me to say:

Whenever there's trouble
Don't take too long a-sighin'
But try to remember
That bright dandelion.

       -- Allegra, April 20, 1986
          aka Anna Mae Schroeder


In the summer of 1990 I had to go to Dearborn to stay with my Mom for quite a while, because she was quite sick from chemotherapy. She then had bad moments and good ones. One day she was up to talking and reminiscing.

She was talking about Babe and Bill, a pair of young work horses. My Dad bought this particular pair of horses to work on our newly-purchased little farm in Springville. (I was only nine-and-a-half years old at this time, in 1942.) He wanted this pair because he desired young SPIRITED horses. In this case, spirited meant 'full of energy, enthusiasm, and determination'.

They were spirited, all right. Bill, especially, would prance around, resisting any attempts at being harnessed up. Someone had to stand in front of him while my Dad harnessed him. Dad's brother-in-law Uncle Stanley was going to help my Dad. They were going to show the horses that THEY (the men) were The Boss. They were going to hook the horses up to the road drag (my Dad was paid by the county to drag the dirt road and level out the bumps and holes).

The men finally got the horses harnessed and hooked up to the road drag, thinking it would temper them a little. The horses ran down the road with the drag, the men running after them. The horses were rearing up, the men hanging onto the reins, trying to calm them down. This probably happened more than once, as the horses were newly purchased, and had to be broken in. It's a miracle that no one got hurt during all of this 'calming them down'.
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One day my Dad took our bull about a quarter-mile on our narrow dirt road to the neighbor's place because his cow was ready to be serviced by the bull. Farmers know when the cow is ovulating. The bull was young, and probably spirited also, as in the above story. Dad tied the rope to the bull's neck or nose ring, and they started down the road. My Mom was watching from the kitchen window, a bit worried.

The bull would dance around, to and fro, and every once in a while he would attempt to 'boot' or 'attack'  Dad in the posterior with his horns, playfully, I would hope, but perhaps to express his annoyance at being tethered. My Mom was watching through the window, worried that the bull would knock Dad down. Nonetheless, it did make a beautiful picture.


I'll see you at the Corner Post...