postcards from paradise

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,
the simple garments of leaves,
the coarse roots in the earth
so uprightly burning.

mary oliver

postcards from paradise

finding sacred in the ordinary and the joy that comes with sharing.

 a chance to visit others offerings and leave a word of kindness

as we walk a world labyrinth in the art of seeing.

 simply sign in with your postcards from paradise link

 please write recuerda mi corazon 

on your post and link it to postcards

so more can join us in our beauty quest.

Comments

[Sue Fox]

I love those colours of bee and sunflower in the last pic, so busy in the world of perpetuating a honeyed existence for us all - rather like you ;~)

Love Sue x

[Dawn Elliott]

I didn't grow my tiny field of sunflowers this year, and even though there are a few errant ones in the yard, I miss them! I totally adored your post honoring and picturing them in all their glory! Thanks!

[Noelle]

Lush and gorgeous fruit of the sun. I love these flowers and Oliver's words. I remember seeing a whole field of sunflowers in the Loire valley after the rain, turning their heavy rain soaked faces all at once toward the sun's rich and vibrant light after the storm had passed. It was as if they were one organism, performing a single dance. You have given them new life again with these words and pictures.
Love,
Noelle

[gloria]

Oh just beauty galore. Very nice Rebecca. Have a wonderul weekend.

[Fran Meneley]

Wonderful, Rebecca - LOVE the Mary Oliver poem and those glorious photographs. The sunnies just make my heart sing!! Thanks for adding me to your postcards today - I love everyone else's too!!! Truly paradise - xoxox

[encore...please of please]

I want to run in a field of sunshine with you...chasing honey and blue skies!

[Meri @ Meri's Musings]

The sunflower is such a potent symbol -- we should all be programmed to always seek the light and then to shine it outwards.

[Magical Mystical Teacher]

I find sunflowers irresistible--as do you, Rebecca. What is there about these "common old things" that makes us look twice, and three times, and a dozen? Oh, there is magic hidden in those dazzling yellow petals, that's for sure!

[sharon furner]

Good morning Rebecca...today is your sunshine day...your article will be posted in Art Saves Lives which I will check out soon. Most likely I am up to early for it to be posted!! Up with the sunflowers...I dearly love your Mexican sunflowers! I need to paint Mexican SF. I thought I had read every M. Oliver poem written. How in the world did I miss this one. Your photos match beautifully! That curious bee really stuck around for this photo op! My favorite is the parade of ants...why? I finally had to cut down our ten foot plus sunflowers..the storms had ravaged them and they were covered with ants. It was such a sad finale. And I have never seen so many ants, but they weren't cute like yours. I have saved the withered heads to take final pictures of..Then the seeds will be gathered and scattered for another day. I think I will toss some out into the fields surrounding us next spring. I wonder whether they will grow? Thank you for your words and pictures. smiles:sharon

[missing moments]

such beauty in your pictures!
and i love love love mary oliver!

[Mary]

Rebecca, thank you for visiting my blog and calling my attention here. I'd not heard of this Mary Oliver poem either. It's beautiful, as are your photographs. Just breathtaking!

"the long work of turning their lives into a celebration is not easy..."
- but we're trying to do that with Erin's short and beautiful life
xo