Sometimes I see and feel
a whole poem
in my mind
all at one time

like a painting
a landscape of alluring
colors
and
form
a star-filled ebony sky
a perfectly formed blossom

or a spectacular instant

a burst of lightning
vehement rumbling of thunder
the fleeting glimpse of a rainbow

a moment of inexpressible
joy and love...

a child's delighted laughter
a new mother's glow
white-haired lovers walking
hand-in-hand

but...

I can't seem to take it apart
and name the pieces.

The fragments are dandelion seeds
blown to the wind
once scattered
not retrievable.

But the feeling they present
as they float freely about
is worth letting them go.