The sunflower sprout is starving.
Rain is a fading memory.
Around her, leaves wither
And flowers droop,
Gazing at the dry soil,
Asking if it has given all it can.
She remembers resilience.
She has never known drought,
But her mother once did.
She missed the water too
Her petals drying (dying)
Staring at the sun that feeds her constantly
Wishing that was enough.
But she survived.
And so does the seedling.
Finally, rain arrives
Tumbling down carelessly
Unaware of the anxiety its absence has caused.
The sunflower cannot dance in gladness,
But she can move.
As she faces the east,
She imagines a future where she will stand still,
And that will be enough.
—
Alia Marielle is a naturalist and educator living in Chicago, IL. She enjoys writing about plants as if they were people.
