Dandelion Stanley

Dandelion Stanley

written by: Jim Wingrove

@wjwingrove

 

is the patron saint of oatmeal
feeds his soul with cornmeal

masters his condition
with bolts of intuition

full fadom to the munchkins
who tried to crash his luncheon

won’t be taken lightly
or bullied even slightly

he’s the straw man of all seasons
and doesn’t need his reasons

blanches when the summer
contains too many mothers

pulls courage from his blunders
in spurts of solid wonder

grew up to be a sailor
never got James Taylor

his mother was a window
who saw which way the wind blew

his father was a windmill
who sold his soul for catskill

likes men of every collar
is careful with a dollar

won’t believe in nothing
while patron saints are coughing

used to be a huffer
with memory in buffer

needs to feel his feelings
as much as he needs ceilings

needs a heart that’s beating
while the sky is sleeting

used to go to courage
with a mind of porridge

now he gets his fancy
in the grip of Nancy

used to be a prankster
and spiritual gangster

now he grows more credulous
with every passing Dedalus

grows richer by the hour
sings Bach in the shower

feeds his lawn nutrition
practises contrition

drives a car of failure
goes to meet a sailor

thinks he’s beat the hustle
still misses his muscles

cannot be forgiven
remembers David Niven

is just becoming naked
as reaches his green fifties

wants a love like ice cream
has the dullest wet dreams

wakes up with a hunger
that coats his soul in umber

but laughs to see the children
playing with their daydreams