sunflowers
Poems in German and English
By: Astrid Hiemer - 09/24/2006
Astrid selebrates the Sun. Giuliano images
The Cycle of Life
By Astrid Hiemer
I have tried to grow sunflowers for years
In my imagination.
Sunflowers would not grow in City soil.
Was it the soil?
Was it the seed?
Was it the lack of sun
Why they did not come to life?
This year, I planted seed by seed,
In May, into freshly sifted farm soil
In our newly built flowerbed
In front of the Adams house.
And quickly, they punched through the earth.
They grew into tall seedlings,
So many, so that I gave some to friends,
Barbara and Barbara, in June, and we
Transplanted them in their wonderful gardens.
The plants formed large leaves quickly, grew tall
In a whole row, fifteen of them.
In late July they had reached seven feet in height,
When finally the flowers were forming.
I could not hold a flower in my hand in August;
They had grown to size.
The stems stood eight feet tall, thick,
When swaying in the wind.
Beauty fades slowly - by October,
The heavy heads drooped down toward the earth.
I did not see birds picking at the seeds for food,
But I am told that is the fate of sunflowers in the fall.
I finally took them down in November.
I saved many of their seeds for next year,
So that I can plant them again in May.
Sonnenblumen Leben
Von Astrid Hiemer
Seit Jahren traeumte ich davon
Sonnenblumen zu zuechten.
Doch im Stadtgarten
Wollten sie nicht wachsen.
War es die Erde?
Die Saat?
Mangel an Sonne?
Dieses Jahr habe ich im Mai Kern fuer Kern,
Behutsam in die Bauernerde in unser
Neues Blumenbeet in Adams gesteckt.
Die Saat spross schon in zehn Tagen,
So viele junge Pflanzen hatte ich,
Dass wir, Barbara und Barbara,
Im Juni kleine Sonnenpflanzen in deren
Riesen grossen Gaerten umpflanzten.
Im Juli standen die Stengel schon zwei Meter hoch,
Viele grosse Blaetter hatten sich geformt,
Doch im August erst bildeten sich die Blumen.
Bald waren sie groesser als mein Handumfang,
So schoen und golden und braun.
Da standen sie nun,
Gross und stark und acht Fuss hoch
Und wiegten sich behutsam im Wind. -
Schoenheit welkt langsam.....
Im Oktober hingen die schweren Koepfe herunter.
Voegel habe ich nicht an ihnen picken gesehen,
Doch ich weiss, das ist das Los der Sonnenblumen:
Im Herbst geben sie Voegeln Leben.
Im November erst habe ich die Sonnenblumenkerne
Im Keller getrocknet.
Ich werde sie wahren, damit sie im naechsten Mai,
In Adams, wieder neue Sonnenblumen
Zum Leben bringen.
Die Sonnenblumen
By Charles Giuliano
The Garden
A special place for us
Married under the apple tree
From the beginning
Astrid longed to grow
Sunflowers
Attempts in Eastie
Doomed
But this summer in
A raised bed out front
Splash of color by the road
Incredible
She soaked the seeds overnight
First flush of triumph
They sprouted
Then grew and grew and grew
Jack and the Beanstalk
Taller, and taller, and taller
Some thinned out
Shared with friends
Even transplanted to Eastie
Come September
Huge pools of color and light
Suns
A row of them
Constellations swaying in the wind
This season's greetings
Memories of