This month's muse is Mary Oliver's poem 'The Sunflowers' :
"Come with me
into the field of sunflowers.
Their faces are burnished disks,
their dry spines
creak like ship masts,
their green leaves,
so heavy and many,
fill all day with the sticky
sugars of the sun.
Come with me
to visit the sunflowers,
they are shy
but want to be friends;
they have wonderful stories
of when they were young -
the important weather,
the wandering crows.
Don't be afraid
to ask them questions!
Their bright faces,
which follow the sun,
will listen, and all
those rows of seeds -
each one a new life!
hope for a deeper acquaintance;
each of them, though it stands
in a crowd of many,
like a separate universe,
is lonely, the long work
of turning their lives
into a celebration
is not easy. Come
and let us talk with those modest faces,Their faces are burnished disks,
their dry spines
creak like ship masts,
their green leaves,
so heavy and many,
fill all day with the sticky
sugars of the sun.
Come with me
to visit the sunflowers,
they are shy
but want to be friends;
they have wonderful stories
of when they were young -
the important weather,
the wandering crows.
Don't be afraid
to ask them questions!
Their bright faces,
which follow the sun,
will listen, and all
those rows of seeds -
each one a new life!
hope for a deeper acquaintance;
each of them, though it stands
in a crowd of many,
like a separate universe,
is lonely, the long work
of turning their lives
into a celebration
is not easy. Come
the simple garments of leaves,
the coarse roots in the earth
so uprightly burning."
Beautiful. I think sunflowers can connect with anyone, young or old. Such cheery flowers.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna! I love this line "let us talk with those modest faces" - sunflowers really do have personalities at times don't they! I grew a row of 'earth walkers' a couple of years back and it was like they were creatures walking the earth! Amazing flowers.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read and hear this, Anna. Thanks for sharing it. Each flower is indeed different - different height, size, sometimes colour, although the basic physiology is the same, just like humans. I do talk to my sole flowering sunflower, and there is a lot I would say to the nice mahogany ones if they had survived their planting out!
ReplyDeleteLovely poem! You know, I wasn't even familiar with Mary Oliver until I started reading blogs, and now she's become one of my favorite poets. She has such a connection with nature that she expresses so vividly. I wish I had planted those sunflower seeds I bought last spring!
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven't been around in awhile, Anna; the living roof on your last post was amazing!
Hi Anna, Sorry I have disappeared for so long this summer. I've really missed everyone's blogs. I love this poem so thanks for sharing. There is such a simple beauty about sunflowers. I think because it's the first flower a lot of us grow as children and the colours and form appeal to the child in us all even when we're adults.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the poem and it seems that sunflowers appeal to so many people. I think that they are one of those flowers that just make you smile. Good to see you again Rose and Wellywoman :)
ReplyDelete