Welcome back to the Daily Calling, the podcast from Goldbury Studios. I'm Sean Johnson, and today is Monday, March 23rd, 2026. Today's poem is by Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, and it's called Dandy Lines. I'll read it once, offer a few comments and read it one more time.
Dandy Lines. Welcome children of the spring, in your garbs of green and gold, lifting up your sun-crowned heads on the verdant plain and wold, as a bright and joyous troop from the breast of earth you came, fair and lovely are your cheeks, with sun kisses all the flame. In the dusty streets and lanes, will lowly children play, there as gentle frenzy smile, making brighter lives highway. Due drops and the morning sun, weave your garments fair and bright, and we welcome you today as the children of the light.
Children of the earth and sun, we are slow to understand all the richness of the gifts flowing from our father's hand. This is a lovely and uncomplicated poem, at least it appears to be, but I think that there really is a lot going on. I don't know that this is a universal experience, but it is my experience and certainly the poem supports it. As a child, I remember feeling this strange tension about Dandy Lines because the adults in my life tended to be decidedly against Dandy Lines.
They were a weed, they were a nuisance, they were frustrated when Dandy Lines would pop up in our yard. I on the other hand was always very excited when Dandy Lines would pop up in our yard. In these yellow flowers, they were vibrant, they were pretty. If you waited and played your cards right, they would go to seed and you'd have the great Dandy Line puffs.
And if they grew tall enough, you could come by with a stick and whack their heads off in one blow. It was very satisfying. And so, Hark represents Dandy Lines in this poem. They are a gift from the father's hand that it takes time to appreciate or understand implicitly.
I think she even goes farther. It's harder for some people to appreciate and understand that these gifts in the poem, we have in the very center of the poem, in fact, the third stanza of five, the people who are enjoying and appreciating the Dandy Lines are humble. They crop up in the dusty streets and lanes where the lowly children play, making brighter life's highway. The well to do with their manicured lawns are not making an appearance as the natural lovers and appreciators of these flowers.
But to those who have little or to those who are simple because they are innocent, those who are still closer to the earth, even just vertically speaking, maybe those who can't afford cut flowers, they all have an easier time seeing immediately the beauty in or finding delight in the appearance of these springtime harbingers. So we could all take note, especially if we're lovers of the spring, because Dandy Lines mean good things. Here's the poem one more time. Welcome children of the spring, and your garbs of green and gold, lifting up your sun-crowned heads on the verdant plain and old.
As a bright and joyous troop from the breast of earth you came, fair and lovely are your cheeks with sun kisses all aflame. In the dusty streets and lanes where the lowly children play, there as a gentle frenzy smile, making brighter life's highway. Due drops and the morning sun, weave your garments fair and bright, and we welcome you today as the children of the light. Children of the earth and sun, we are slow to understand all the richness of the gifts flowing from our father's hand.
This has been the Daily Poem. Thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow with another subscriber episode and then here on the main channel on Wednesday. In the meantime, you can find us at DailyPoemPod.substack.com to listen to past episodes, to comment on each day's poem or become a subscriber and supporter of the show.
For all of us at Goldberry Studios, I'm Sean Johnson wishing you happy-