Helianthus
Look, the sunflowers
are reaching,
vying to outdo
one another
in the quest for light.
The tallest one,
first to unfurl,
reigns over the others.
Softly it hums
as gilded petals
scintillate,
“Stretch, grow,
spiral heavenward.
Offer up
your seeds. Transform
into goldfinch song.”
Helianthus
Mira, los girasoles
están alcanzando,
compitiendo por superar
los unos a los otros
en busca de la luz.
El mas alto
primero en desplegar,
reina sobre los demás.
Suavemente tararea
mientras pétalos dorados
centellean,
“Estírate, crece,
sube en espiral hacia el cielo.
Ofrece
tus semillas. Transfórmate
en la canción del jilguero “.
~ These poems were translated by Maria Lander Cabrere and Eileen LaFontaine. They were narrated by Maggie Gagliardi and Alejandra Camacho.
A poet and a public school teacher, Julie Martin lives near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. Her poetry has appeared in several online journals, most recently: The Talking Stick, Plants and Poetry, Optopia, Mothers Always Write, Thimble Literary Magazine, and Gravitas.