Unused Magic

Image of dandelions.There are wishes in my hair, constellations of fluff from dandelion ghosts my daughter blows in my direction. She always wishes for the same impossible thing: a dinosaur resurrection. Of course, it hasn’t happened, but to her, it simply hasn’t happened yet. She needs to keep wishing. Meanwhile, my toddler stomps through the yard with a plastic shovel, smashing the head off every dandelion he sees. My daughter is upset, not that he’s destroying them, but that he doesn’t make a wish first. As clouds of pappus bloom in his wake, she watches helplessly, all that unused magic, floating away.

 

 

Maureen McEly is a writer of short fiction. She lives in Cincinnati, where she splits her time between writing and caring for her small children.

Photo Credit: tanakawho

 

9 Responses to “Unused Magic”

  1. shirley says:

    Beautiful. I was there with you, witnessing the hopes of your daughter and her annoyance at her brother’s wasted wishes.

  2. Cathy Blake says:

    Really!! liked this story-makes me want to go outside and look for dandelions that have gone to seed and blow, blow, and blow!

  3. K F Lerner says:

    Relatable. You do an excellent job of capturing the earnestness, belief, abandon, magic, and helplessness of childhood.

  4. Brilliant. I love every word stringed together. Such a magical story.

  5. magic 10$/gal says:

    That is truly beautiful

  6. Yvonne says:

    Love this–carried me along like dandelion fluff

  7. Lorraine Rose says:

    Captivating imagery!

  8. David Fair says:

    Very nice!

  9. Teddy Kimathi says:

    Beautiful imagery! Loved every word of it!

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