Sunflowers

I lost him

and the world

didn’t flinch.

cars kept moving.

clocks kept ticking.

the sun kept rising—

too bright,

too soon.

for a while

they let me grieve

but then

they needed me to smile again

as if sorrow had a deadline.

I still see him

in sunflowers—

how they turn towards the light

even when it hurts.

and I

have learned

to let grief

take its time.

because love

never left

all at once.