I’ve enjoyed the song Sunflower, by Toni Price, ever since I first heard it. The lyrics always suggested my granddaughter Moneka to me, even more so as she blossoms into a smart, tough, beautiful and mature young woman.
Today, I was riding my bike when I saw the sunflower shown below. I should note that it got unseasonably cold last night, and this thing was over 15 feet tall and seemed undaunted by the sudden change in weather. It was almost defiant, it seemed to me.
Much like my daughter Lisa, who ended the week with a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and who begins chemotherapy in a couple of weeks.
I suppose too, the fact her grandma, Laurina, was known for her love of sunflowers has something to do with it all, but in that tall, standing proud despite the challenges, sunflower this morning I saw my daughter. Strong, brave (and of course scared) and ready to deal with what may come.
Oddly enough, I couldn’t find the song on You-Tube. Luckily, Toni still maintains a MySpace presence, so you can listen to the song here: Sunflower, by Toni Price (You have to hit the play button after the page loads.)
And showing the world is missing out on a wonderful performer, I couldn’t find the lyrics online, so I transcribed them.
Sunflower
Oh sunflower, down in the grass, still so small but growing so fast
pretty soon she will reach for the sky
Days go by all in a rush
waiting for something
and doesn’t know what
Pretty soon she’ll be saying goodbye
and she stands there and in her hands are the evening star and the morning sun
and it seems like it would be so easily done
and she waits by the open gates for the tides to turn and the boats to run
and it seems like it would be so easily be done
Oh sunflower, here’s where it starts, restless dreams and far away hearts
pretty soon she’ll be falling in love
Clouds go by casting their shapes
promises broken and promises made
Pretty soon never comes soon enough
and she stands there and in her hands are the evening star and the morning sun
and it seems like it’d be so easily done
and she waits by the open gates for the tides to turn and the boats to run
and it seems like it’d be
yes it seems like it’d be
yes it seems like it’d be
So easily done
la la la la la la la la la la
Oh sunflower