A Sunflower in the Shadows

Art by Lauri Kaye

By Sharon Byrd

In the morning I rise

To the fight and the struggle;

To fit my few pieces

Into life's peculiar grand puzzle.

Like a sunflower in the shadows,

I stretch to find light.

And it takes most of my energy

For this one morning fight.

I stretch to find purpose,

To find something to believe.

Like a sunflower in the shadows

Fights valiantly from a seed.

I realize in the struggle,

This is where I get strong.

Pushing through shadow and growing all along.

At my tallest point,

And on really good days,

I feel so close to the sun!

I can smell its warm rays! 

And in that moment,

As the darkness fades,

I see hope in the sunshine and why it was made...

Sunflower by Camille Walker, age 12

For sure if God can make sunflowers,

Then He can make me.

A sunflower from the shadows, 

For all the world to see.

My senses are drawn to a greater design…

A sunflower in the shadows, 

Meant to shine…