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You believed only a girl born of dandelion can be ferocious –

Purvi Shah

Purvi Shah is the author of Miracle Marks (Northwestern University Press, 2019) and Terrain Tracks (New Rivers Press, 2006).

Themes

About this Poem

“Who knew dandelions select when it’s time to disperse—or not? One day, I stumbled upon an article, ‘Engineers uncover secret ‘thinking’ behind dandelions’ seed dispersal,’ where bioengineer Dr. Naomi Nakayama shares research on dandelion biomechanics. She notes, ‘We reveal how the dandelion ensures the survival of its species by making perhaps the most important decision in a plant’s life—to stay or go seek a better habitat.’ I came to the U.S. as a young girl: in this poem, I visualize the complexities of gender constraints alongside the will to soar and bloom.”
—Purvi Shah

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Mira pushes aside the mountain you are climbing

Desire is never one way. Black
snakes crawl through your throat. The divine longs

for human proximity to divinity. The divine longs
for touch. You have not wanted

Purvi Shah

2019

Poems

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You believed only a girl born of dandelion can be ferocious –

More by this poet

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