Cosmos, Dandelions and Parachutes

One of my favorite poems that Kaitlyn wrote is “Dandelion.” I never knew of its existence until after she died and found where she had written it when she was in undergrad and it was in a publication they had.

The poem is a metaphor (or maybe more of a simile) using the parachutes of the dandelion as its subject. I never knew the little things that flew off dandelions looked like parachutes until I read the poem as I have never looked that closely.

My favorite new series on TV is “Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey” with Neil DeGrasse Tyson. It is a wonderful series about the cosmos that is a new version of what astrophysicist Carl Sagan started years ago before he died. I never watched the first version as I had never even heard of it. How a child that loves anything pertaining to the universe could miss this series is beyond me. But I am so happy to see this new one.

Astronomy is something that Kaitlyn and I shared a love. It’s one of the many things that tied our souls together and I find so few people to share this love with….well actually I can share it with no one anymore because she was the one that got it and loved it too.

The first time I watched Cosmos I noticed as part of the intro that it shows a Dandelion with its tiny parachutes blowing in the wind and you can actually see that they ARE shaped just like parachutes. When I watch this intro I think of Kaitlyn and think of her now in the vastness of the cosmos that we so love. I’d rather her be here though…..but I think of her and this is the world I share with her……

Kaitlyn your parachute flew too soon.

Dandelion

You know how you lost her:
letter by letter.

The poem of her unlaced;
like a chain of dandelions you whispered to,
blew away their tiny parachutes. Early,
too early. Not even in time to meet the honey bees.
And some of them flew, found a spring.

Walk through the meadow, dear;
wonder which were yours.

–Kaitlyn Elkins