poem by Sophie Kim
Sunflowers lean

in the direction of the sun

although this sunflower leaned in the direction

of the warmth that came from the moon

the mysterious light that attracted the flower

not from what it was familiar with
a new experience and a new way to bend

although the moon sung with the flower,
pampered its petals with faraway words and

danced through shadows that felt so close

the moon was in the sky
the sunflower danced, lone
in its own lonely patch

the sunflower was the sun of its own

danced to its own tune
smiled, laughed
was so sure of the world and its offerings

but the
moon had
its own
tune

a slow,
cautious,
steady,
unsure
dance.

the sunflower
thought to please
the moon

whenever it
could with its
own light

to dance as the moon's stage and to love

but the sunflower could only dance
for so long

until a petal fell

from its yellow petal crown

the sunflower could not evaluate why
it danced for its love.
it simply had
to keep dancing

although the sunflower knew that
its petals were falling off
and the sunflower had bent too far

the sunflower had its own frustrations
but the moon hurt wherever it shined

the moon's songs were so achingly
tearful

the sunflower hardly had any petals left
when the moon began to shine its light in another direction