by Mark Weinrich

My head is heavy
like a sunflower,
a fringe of petals like hair
surround a seed-packed face.
What a toil it must be now
to turn its bowed head;
for every moment of every day
it has followed the sun.

Now my head is bowed
heavy with the seeds of dreams:
children’s books, devotionals,
poems, animal stories.
How do I choose? How do I follow?

I remember an evening grosbeak
hanging upside down
raking seeds from the downturned
face of a sunflower. His partners
below were delighting in the 
showered feast. Lord, I know 
Your Spirit, like that bird, can choose
the seeds in me that will glorify
You and be a feast for others.

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Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 130 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.