“Facing the Sun”
“Sunflowers, Not Facing the Sun” (A Poem)
I stand tall
As gracious as one could be
Blooming to my best
As slender as it touches my being
Everyone else is facing the sun
Bending towards its unfathomable galore
They and I are both undoubtedly
Grown on the benevolence of life’s essence
The brighter side mercilessly feeding desires unbound
By daunting the “courage to know” with each spin
Though, I am not able to face the sun the way they do
Yet, I learn from the knowledge bred within me
Beyond achievement markers, but an adverse ability
An opportunity to exercise my special self
From the cherubic attire of my blessed soul
To the unfathomable mystery the drape of this world hides
That I, by not facing the sun
Hunt the gems in the milieu of the human existence”
― Annie Ali
As the days shorten and cool, I find myself reflecting back on the wonderful summer of 2016. Many hot days, one the water, on the trails, or just sitting and relaxing, eyes closed and basking in the sun.
So, as I take in the last blossoms of summer, I’m particularly drawn to sunflowers, with their sun-like faces, petals blazing forth in warm yellows. Until recently I had not noticed all the variations of sunflowers, from the traditional seed-bearing varieties to the yellow or black faced ornamentals, all beautiful and all reminders, to me, of warmer days, as they matured, facing the sun and drinking in its energies, and reflecting it back now, as the sun itself is less present.
Nikon D800
Nikor 28-70mm f/3.5-4.6 @ 70mm
1.3 sec, f/22.0, ISO 400
High Resolution image on 500px:
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Ed Lehming Photography 
how tasty the seeds must have been…
No seeds in this one, strictly ornamental 🙂