Sunflower Season

Sunflower Season Just beyond town Past Walmart And the line of fast food A field of sunflowers grow As the heat dies down And backpacks are taken out of the closet Their black heads lined with yellow lace begin to rise To the right lies a cornfield And across the highway, wheat They say the sunflowers grow for the farmer's wife Or maybe to fill his pocket with something to chew on The kindergartners insist he simply likes the way the big yellow petals glow We scoff No profit, no gain As the breeze grows more confident And sandals are traded for boots Their lace begins to fade And their black faces sigh I drove by once in those last weeks I saw the farmer sitting on the bed of his pickup Watching the sun's golden beams embrace the flowers I swear I saw him smile No profit Yet, perhaps a gain