Michael Simms

 Healing the Body and the World by Honoring the Power of Plants: In 2014 I earned a certificate in Plant-based Nutrition at Cornell. One of the subjects that has interested me has been foraging, the collecting of edible wild plants. My wife and I live in a Pittsburgh neighborhood surrounded by a wooded park with a variety of flora and fauna. Berries, nuts and edible greens can be found a short walk from our house, and this wild abundance finds its way into our soups, salads, smoothies, sauces, and casseroles. A plant that particularly fascinates me is the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) a member of the daisy family. Every part of the herb from root to leaf to flower is highly nutritious. Taraxacum is the best-known source of Vitamin K, and for this reason it’s been used as an effective treatment for blood and liver diseases for thousands of years. Taraxacum heals the earth as well. Nature has assigned it the specialized task of restoring nutrients to ruined soil, so it can be found in places where other plants can’t grow, such as the cracks in sidewalks and the edges of roads. When its repairs are finished, Taraxacum dies, and other plants take its place. My poem Dandelion honors this beautiful plant and the important work it does in mending the damage we do to the earth and to ourselves.