(for Jill)

Jill brought me a single sunflower
the size of a bread plate, a small
orange stop sign atop a sturdy stem.

“I wanted to bring you the whole thing,”
said the flower-grower, beaming her
sunny grin, “but it wouldn’t fit in my car.”

And I imagined a six-foot-tall version
of this happy-faced seed pod leaning
out of one of her SUV’s windows,

its shaggy head nodding, its ray
flowers frilly as a tutu circling
the floret-filled center. If roses make

some of us swoon, sunflowers elicit
a smile, much like their cousins
the daisies, the instinct live in us

turn our faces sunward, soaking
up the warmth of our nearest star,
which this towering plant with

its heart-shaped leaves at its base
generates—this spectacular summer
gift that lets the sunshine in,

long may it blaze.

•••

Together We Heal, the nonprofit created and run by Jill Batiansila, grows
flowers each spring and summer to give to people who are grieving,
as well as offering free yoga, walking, counseling and writing sessions.
I’m honored to lead monthly writing groups for Together We Heal in
Elk Grove, California. Its groups and services are open to all.