SUNFLOWER SUTRA

By Allen Ginsberg
I walked on the banks o the tin!an banana do!k and sat down "nder the h"ge shade o
a So"thern #a!ii! lo!o$oti%e to look at the s"nset o%er the bo& ho"se hills and
!ry'
(a!k )ero"a! sat beside $e on a b"sted r"sty iron *ole+ !o$*anion+ we tho"ght the
sa$e tho"ghts o the so"l+ bleak and bl"e and sad,eyed+ s"rro"nded by the gnarled
steel roots o trees o $a!hinery'
The oily water on the ri%er $irrored the red sky+ s"n sank on to* o inal Fris!o
*eaks+ no ish in that strea$+ no her$it in those $o"nts+ -"st o"rsel%es rhe"$y,
eyed and h"ng,o%er like old b"$s on the ri%erbank+ tired and wily'
Look at the S"nlower+ he said+ there was a dead gray shadow against the sky+ big as
a $an+ sitting dry on to* o a *ile o an!ient sawd"st.
.I r"shed "* en!hanted.it was $y irst s"nlower+ $e$ories o Blake.$y %isions.
/arle$
and /ells o the Eastern ri%ers+ bridges !lanking (oes Greasy Sandwi!hes+ dead baby
!arriages+ bla!k treadless tires orgotten and "nretreaded+ the *oe$ o the
ri%erbank+ !ondo$s 0 *ots+ steel kni%es+ nothing stainless+ only the dank $"!k
and the ra1or,shar* artia!ts *assing into the *ast.
and the gray S"nlower *oised against the s"nset+ !ra!kly bleak and d"sty with the
s$"t and s$og and s$oke o olden lo!o$oti%es in its eye.
!orolla o bleary s*ikes *"shed down and broken like a battered !rown+ seeds allen
o"t o its a!e+ soon,to,be,toothless $o"th o s"nny air+ s"nrays obliterated on
its hairy head like a dried wire s*iderweb+
lea%es st"!k o"t like ar$s o"t o the ste$+ gest"res ro$ the sawd"st root+ broke
*ie!es o *laster allen o"t o the bla!k twigs+ a dead ly in its ear+
Unholy battered old thing yo" were+ $y s"nlower O $y so"l+ I lo%ed yo" then2
The gri$e was no $an3s gri$e b"t death and h"$an lo!o$oti%es+
all that dress o d"st+ that %eil o darkened railroad skin+ that s$og o !heek+
that eyelid o bla!k $is3ry+ that sooty hand or *hall"s or *rot"beran!e o
artii!ial worse,than,dirt.ind"strial.$odern.all that !i%ili1ation s*otting yo"r
!ra1y golden !rown.
and those blear tho"ghts o death and d"sty lo%eless eyes and ends and withered
roots below+ in the ho$e,*ile o sand and sawd"st+ r"bber dollar bills+ skin o
$a!hinery+ the g"ts and innards o the wee*ing !o"ghing !ar+ the e$*ty lonely
tin!ans with their r"sty tong"es ala!k+ what $ore !o"ld I na$e+ the s$oked ashes
o so$e !o!k !igar+ the !"nts o wheelbarrows and the $ilky breasts o !ars+
worno"t asses o"t o !hairs 0 s*hin!ters o dyna$os.all these
entangled in yo"r $"$$ied roots.and yo" there standing beore $e in the s"nset+ all
yo"r glory in yo"r or$2
A *ere!t bea"ty o a s"nlower2 a *ere!t e&!ellent lo%ely s"nlower e&isten!e2 a
sweet nat"ral eye to the new hi* $oon+ woke "* ali%e and e&!ited gras*ing in the
s"nset shadow s"nrise golden $onthly bree1e2
/ow $any lies b"11ed ro"nd yo" inno!ent o yo"r gri$e+ while yo" !"rsed the hea%ens
o the railroad and yo"r lower so"l4
#oor dead lower4 when did yo" orget yo" were a lower4 when did yo" look at yo"r
skin and de!ide yo" were an i$*otent dirty old lo!o$oti%e4 the ghost o a
lo!o$oti%e4 the s*e!ter and shade o a on!e *ower"l $ad A$eri!an lo!o$oti%e4
5o" were ne%er no lo!o$oti%e+ S"nlower+ yo" were a s"nlower2
And yo" Lo!o$oti%e+ yo" are a lo!o$oti%e+ orget $e not2
So I grabbed "* the skeleton thi!k s"nlower and st"!k it at $y side like a s!e*ter+
and deli%er $y ser$on to $y so"l+ and (a!k3s so"l too+ and anyone who3ll listen+
.We3re not o"r skin o gri$e+ we3re not dread bleak d"sty i$ageless lo!o$oti%es+
we3re golden s"nlowers inside+ blessed by o"r own seed 0 hairy naked
a!!o$*lish$ent,bodies growing into $ad bla!k or$al s"nlowers in the s"nset+
s*ied on by o"r own eyes "nder the shadow o the $ad lo!o$oti%e ri%erbank s"nset
Fris!o hilly tin!an e%ening sitdown %ision'
Berkeley+ 6788