Poetry | Ukraine

A Letter to the Children of Ukraine

Every one of you is a sunflower of hope

To the dear children of Ukraine, each and every one of you a sunflower of hope-filled yellow against an expanse of war-torn blues You sprout from the seed of your ancestors nourished by their blood in the soil You grow and prosper against the odds forever turning your faces to the light Your childlike innocence musters courage, gives purpose and spirit to defend what’s rightly yours You are destined to inherit your homeland pastures ne’er evil gain foothold and prevail Sunflowers, my dear ones, you are bold bearers of faith stand tall, stand together, be proud reach for the arc of heaven above for it is yours in its abundant glory Children of Ukraine, be blessed peace be yours forevermore.

© Carolyn Hastings 2022

Dedicated to the children of Ukraine who have suffered, and continue to suffer, the abomination of war in their homeland.

To the people of Ukraine, sunflowers are a symbol of peace and loyalty. The yellow-blue design of Ukraine’s national flag represents sunflowers against a blue sky.

Sunflowers are an important part of Ukraine’s economy with field upon field of bright yellow faces following the path of the sun and making Ukraine one of the world’s largest producers of sunflower oil and seeds.

It’s fitting then that the sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower.

You can learn more about the significance of sunflowers in Ukraine in this article, which also includes a link to the viral video showing a Ukrainian woman thrusting sunflower seeds at armed Russian soldiers, telling them,

“Take these seeds so sunflowers grow here when you die.”

#StandWithUkraine

I’ve written this poem in response to Paper Poetry’s ekphrastic Week 12 prompt featuring the artwork of my grandson, Wesley, who celebrates his 5th birthday today. Happy birthday to my very own sunflower boy. 🌻 💛

Please allow me to invite a few poets to join the prompt — Wry Welwood | Gloria D. Gonsalves | Jim Dutton | Christina Marie Ward | William J Spirdione | Hira Ali | Setraj Jahan | Tej | A Rustic Mind (Manali Desai) | Gustave Deresse | Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar | Connie Song and everyone who feels so inclined. You’ll find the prompt details here —

And a shoutout to Raine Lore and her wonderful take on the Week 12 prompt, A Little Jar of Sunshine –

My #StandWithUkraine list of poems -

Thank you all for reading. 🙏 💕

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