I was an Ohio girl
who taught in a country school.
How I remember that day!
When the blizzard hit, it blew
some of the shutters closed
with a bang, breaking some panes,
and the snow came pouring in.
Toward evening, our fuel was gone,
so we set out walking,
holding one another’s hands.
It was impossible to see,
but we followed a row
of dead sunflower stalks
all the way to a nearby farm.
I never see a sunflower now
that I don’t count my lucky stars.