Sunflowers...always
her favourite flowers,
and she and they
had much in common –
turning their faces
to follow the sun
despite the fact
the odds were impossibly
stacked against her...
Far too soon
their petals fade,
fall...one by one,
by one, as the sun
sinks low in autumn
skies, but the seeds
they shed, if any
consolation, spread
far and wide.
And so, again,
this year, with care,
I will tend the soil,
sifting and sieving,
filling it with air
then, diligently, plant
those tiny seedlings
with blind hope –
soon they will
reach out, seeking
the light...groping
for the comfort
of each other’s
velveteen touch.
‘Celebrate my life –
don’t mourn the life
that I had not’...she said.
Impossible, or what?

Comments
fatboy74 | July 31, 2011 - 10:41
Beautiful. :-)
Silver Spun Sand | July 31, 2011 - 10:50
fb - thank you.
Tina
Highhat | July 31, 2011 - 14:18
Leaves you speechless Tina- so beautiful
Hope the sun is shining for you today in your quiet moment :)
;)Pia
Kilb50 | July 31, 2011 - 15:03
Excellent, Silver - A very fine poem and tribute.
Silver Spun Sand | July 31, 2011 - 17:50
Yes, it is, Pia and has been, intermittently, all day. I thank you for your lovely words which mean a lot.
Tina;-)
Silver Spun Sand | July 31, 2011 - 17:51
I greatly appreciate your taking to time to read and comment so thoughtfully, Kib.
Tina
Florian | July 31, 2011 - 21:18
Completely impossible. A very moving poem, Tina.
There must be flowers in the night, some dull bloom that shuns the light ... and yet
Silver Spun Sand | August 1, 2011 - 06:42
Florian - thank you for reading, and thank you for those beautiful words. I will remember them.
Tina
Cavalcaderl | August 1, 2011 - 08:05
new Silver-Spun-Sand
What beautiful tribute and word's,
that surround this little seeds of love
poem. That touch the heart and soul.
May they sun shine on the seeds, and bloom forever.
Sunny day here beautiful always, out on my own.
Because of his ways and dislikes shame!
I am off to Rock a Round The Clock soon show at Theatre Royal looks fab: leaflet on my own,as usual, be fun trying to get a pettticoat under skirt! got short one no good. Been on e bay, and walked most shops. Not paying £32 to tight. Cheer! me up, 3 week's time.
Have a great day! Tina.
julie xx
seashore | August 1, 2011 - 08:22
A loving and beautiful tribute to Andrea. Sunflowers have always been my favourites too - they have lots of character as I'm sure was the case with your daughter, Tina.
Coral
Silver Spun Sand | August 1, 2011 - 08:52
Julie - so good to hear from you, and I'm really pleased you liked my poem.
Have a good time at the Theatre Royal when you go and tell us all about it.
Have a good week;-)
Tina xx
Silver Spun Sand | August 1, 2011 - 08:54
Hi there, Coral;-) You hit the nail on the head, so to speak when you mention 'lots of character'. Andrea certainly did have an excess and always said you can sum up the personality of someone by the flowers they like...which was certainly true in her case.
Thank you so very much for your lovely words. They are more than appreciated.
Tina
skinner_jennifer | August 1, 2011 - 10:24
Hi Tina,
just the thought of being able to grow Sun Flowers,
would make my day, they always seem to get eaten by
slugs, or if they do make it to a flower, they
always seem to topple over and break, even though I
tie them up.
So to read your wonderful poem, made me realise that
even though I cannot grow them, at least I can
imagine them in your words.
A truely wonderful tribute to your daughter.
Jenny.
Silver Spun Sand | August 1, 2011 - 11:00
Many thanks, Jenny, for reading and for your thoughts.
One of the sunflowers is about as tall as me at present, and still growing strong. As a matter of fact, I just put a new stake in to support it yesterday, and it is growing in the vegetable patch alongside some sweetcorn;-)
Tina
skinner_jennifer | August 1, 2011 - 11:16
Hello Tina,
just had to come back and say, I have had absolutely
no success with sweetcorn this year, I sowed 20 and
they came to nothing, I was so disappointed, because
other years, they have been great, maybe it was a
faulty packet, I really don't know. But I'm glad to
hear you've had success.
Jenny.
Silver Spun Sand | August 1, 2011 - 11:31
Actually, it's the first year we've grown them, Jenny, and at the moment we have about twenty plants and at least three are showing the first signs of the cob, so we're living in hopes. But vegetables can be very contrary. All the parsnips we planted are doing absolutely nothing, and we normally have a bumper crop. The same with our broad beans. I guess the motto is, if at first you don't succeed try try again;-) All down, I guess to the weird ways of our variable British climate;-)
Tina
ScoZen | August 1, 2011 - 16:37
Beautiful and sad.
I hope little Ashley has a copy of this on her D.O.E
trek over Dartmoor?
Tell her to read it aloud from the top of Haytor as they walk...quote.
"...turning their faces to follow the sun..."
Silver Spun Sand | August 1, 2011 - 18:18
What a lovely thought, ScoZen...and I will make sure she has a copy with her. Strange you should say this, because Ashley read the first three stanzas of this at Andrea's 'Celebration of Life' service (the last stanzas added this week, to mark the anniversary of her birthday three years on, which is tomorrow, of course).
You are inspired, ScoZen. Thank you, once again.
Sand Lady;-)
Cavalcaderl | August 1, 2011 - 21:26
new Silver-Spun-Sand
Tina, thinking of you especially
as would have been Andrea's birthday.
to-morrow.
julie xx
barryj1 | August 1, 2011 - 23:20
Touching sentiments - especially the way you weave the several, disparate themes together. And, of course, the ending ("... the comfort of each other's velveteen touch.) says it all.
That final section reminds me of the sort of thing Theodore Rothke might have written. The poet's parents owned a greenhouse and plant business and he wrote constantly about nature, plants, soil, moss, mice and seedlings as only someone who lived it intimately could have. You do it equal justice here.
Silver Spun Sand | August 2, 2011 - 06:40
You are very kind, Julie. Thanks...so much.
Tina xx
Silver Spun Sand | August 2, 2011 - 06:42
My thanks to you, barry, for your enlightened thoughts on what is a very special poem for me, as you can imagine. Much appreciated.
Tina
Overthetop1 | August 2, 2011 - 08:07
Beautiful. Well-deserved - the comments and cherry.
the unfolding head | August 2, 2011 - 14:21
very much enjoyed this - beautifully written.
Silver Spun Sand | August 2, 2011 - 17:48
OTT - thanks. More than appreciated;-) Tina
Silver Spun Sand | August 2, 2011 - 17:49
tuf...we meet again;-) Appreciate, so much, your reading my stuff, and I am pleased this one didn't disappoint.
Tina
EpheLuwe | August 5, 2011 - 21:12
Wow. Your poetry is like a soul healer. You must have such an inspiring perspective of your life. You know, I read somewhere that 'we can forgive someone for making something useful, just as long as they don't adore it. The only reason anyone can have for making something useless is that it's treasured infinitely'. They say Art is useless; but this is art, and it invites reflection. If one could read poetry like this every day, it could only work to improve them. Well done, carry on writing.
Ephraim
Silver Spun Sand | August 6, 2011 - 14:03
Ephraim...many thanks for your lovely words. It always makes me so happy when my poetry has even the slightest impact on its reader and am over the moon that it has meant so much to you.
You write very well, too, and I hope to have the time over the next couple of days to read more of your work.
Thanks again.
Tina