Wisdom of a sunflower

~ Ali Grimshaw

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Her face follows the sun

an anchor of light, trusted to lead while she grew

a warmth of reassurance when her sight was lost

from darkness. A seed born with the knowing

yet unable to realize until the day of blossoming.

She held it all along. Resolve of love, strength to push

through the compacted soil of failure, to stretch

when trampled, to believe in the next dawn

while she remained in the shadow of night.

© Ali Grimshaw 2018 – photo taken on a roadtrip in Spain

“Like sunflowers that stop tracking the sun as they mature, we too begin to respond differently to life as we age. We learn to brave more parts of the day with our heads turned away from the sun, because we realize that we can only know who we are if we let the sun shine behind us and allow it to draw our shadow in front of us, so that we may see how we are really shaped. 

We begin to realize how even darkness has its gifts, and how even if we don’t always bask in the light, we can survive.” – When Sunflowers Stop Following The Sun

I was inspired to write this poem after reading this thoughtful article.  Never underestimate the power of sharing with careful words.

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National Poetry Month 2018

22 thoughts on “Wisdom of a sunflower”

  2. The best part of reading what other people write is how often and deeply their words can touch us. We can learn to see things a bit differently, to recognize a truth that we’ve never seen before, and to learn that we’re stronger than we ever thought. Thanks for being one of those people whose words do that for me!

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    1. Ann, I am speechless after reading this lovely response from you.
      It means a great deal to me that my poetry touches others lives. I started sharing to reach out, so that no one would feel alone. Thank you for letting me know that my words have mattered to you.

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  6. Ali I love how you have referred to your starting point.I love people sharing their inspiration points and artistic processes. I think it is important/ invaluable for people wanting to start trying their hand at an art form to have that to reflect on and guide them. Our book club has just finished reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr so when I started reading it I thought you were writing about a blind girl. I actually thought the book might have been your inspiration. It’s a good read, if you haven’t read it. Louise

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    1. Louise, I have read the book (enjoyed it greatly) and I do see the connection. I think our brains are so amazing the way they make connections between experiences. I love learning about the process that others go through to learn or create. I also feel that acknowledgement is underutilized. There are many people that inspire me and I want to share their work with others. Thanks for reading and taking the time to share your story.

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  7. Quote and your poem are wise words to ponder – especially: A seed born with the knowing / yet unable to realize until the day of blossoming.” I’m not sure we humans blossom in a literal “day”, but the metaphor certainly holds.

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  8. “A seed born with the knowing
    yet unable to realize until the day of blossoming.”

    How lovely and insightful! We have it within us all along, the resolve and the strength. Your last line about believing in the next dawn, even as we withstand the dark, is so empowering as well. Thank you for writing this, Ali! 🙂

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